The varsity football coach at Tracy High School, Jeffrey Pribble, was arrested after students found a cellphone secretly recording in a locker room. Students stopped the recording, deleted the footage, and turned the phone over to school staff, who alerted police. Authorities identified the phone owner and took Pribble into custody; he has been placed on administrative leave while criminal and district investigations continue. School and police officials emphasized their commitment to student safety and privacy.
Tracy High Coach Arrested After Students Find Hidden Phone Recording In Locker Room
exterior of tracy high school building
The varsity football coach at Tracy High School was arrested after students discovered a cellphone secretly recording them while they were changing in a campus locker room, authorities said.
FILE — People walk into Tracy High School in Tracy, California, where football coach Jeffrey Pribble was arrested Friday.
Tracy police identified the device as belonging to Jeffrey Pribble, a 48-year-old teacher and varsity football head coach at Tracy High, located east of San Francisco. According to school profiles, Pribble has served as varsity coach for five years and has 22 years of experience in the district.
FILE — The Tracy Unified School District said Pribble will remain on leave while authorities continue investigating.
How the Incident Unfolded
Officials said the phone was found Thursday when a student, together with several classmates, discovered the device recording inside the locker room. The students stopped the recording, deleted the video, and turned the phone over to a teacher. That evening, a concerned parent contacted local police, and school resource officers and detectives opened an investigation.
By the following day, investigators determined the phone belonged to Pribble and he was taken into custody on Friday, the Tracy Police Department said. The district has placed Pribble on administrative leave while criminal and internal district investigations proceed.
District And Police Response
Principal Jon Waggle wrote to parents that the district is cooperating fully with law enforcement and understands the community's concerns. "The District is committed to holding its employees to the highest professional and ethical standards," he wrote.
Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington said student safety and privacy remain a top priority. "Our children deserve to feel safe at school and in every space where they should be able to learn, grow, and simply be kids," Millington said.
The Tracy Unified School District thanked the students who reported the incident and praised officers and detectives for responding quickly. Fox News Digital contacted Tracy High School for additional comment.
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