California High School Football Coach Placed on Leave and Arrested After Hidden Phone Found in Locker Room

A veteran high school educator and varsity football coach in Northern California has been taken into custody after students uncovered a mobile phone that was covertly capturing video footage inside a school changing facility, according to local law enforcement officials.

The suspect, identified by the Tracy Police Department as 48-year-old Jeffrey Pribble, was arrested on Friday following an intensive preliminary investigation into the device's origin. Pribble is a longtime physical education teacher and the varsity head football coach at Tracy High School, a campus located east of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The unsettling incident began on Thursday when a student, along with several peers, noticed a mobile phone positioned inside the campus locker room. Upon closer inspection, the students realized the device had been set up to actively and secretly record individuals while they were changing clothes inside the private school facility.

Recognizing the severity of the privacy breach, the students immediately intervened to halt the recording process. They proceeded to delete the recorded video file directly from the device before safely handing the physical phone over to a campus teacher to ensure school authorities were made aware of the situation.

The matter escalated to local authorities later that evening when a concerned parent reached out directly to patrol officers with the Tracy Police Department. The report prompted law enforcement officials to immediately activate school resource officers and departmental detectives to launch a comprehensive investigation into the origin and ownership of the hidden phone.

Following investigative efforts conducted throughout the remainder of Thursday night and into Friday, detectives successfully traced the device to Pribble. Once his ownership of the recording equipment was established, officers took the 48-year-old faculty member into custody on Friday. The police department officially disclosed details regarding the arrest on Saturday.

According to Tracy High School’s official website and associated social media channels, Pribble serves as an instructor within the school’s physical education department while simultaneously leading the varsity football team. Online profiles, including information from his personal Facebook page, indicate that he has served as the head varsity football coach for five years and possesses 22 years of total experience working as an educator within the local school district.

Following the arrest, the Tracy Unified School District moved swiftly to remove Pribble from his campus responsibilities. District officials confirmed that the longtime coach and physical education teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcomes of both an active criminal proceeding and a parallel internal district investigation.

The administrative response was communicated to the broader school community through an official message sent by Tracy High School Principal Jon Waggle. In an email addressed to parents and guardians, Waggle confirmed the arrest of a school employee, though the correspondence did not specifically publish the teacher's name or detail the exact legal allegations filed against him.

In the written notice, Waggle underscored that district administrators are working in complete cooperation with local law enforcement investigators while prioritizing the safety of everyone on campus. He acknowledged the distress that such news could generate among families and affirmed the administration's obligation to maintain high professional conduct across all academic and athletic programs.

Waggle stated to families that school leaders fully understand the serious concerns this development raises across the community. He stressed that the district remains deeply invested in the safety and welfare of both students and staff members, adding that the educational system is firmly dedicated to holding every employee to the most rigorous ethical and professional expectations.

The principal also expressed pride in the overall security culture across Tracy High School and the wider district, remarking that safe environments rely heavily on open communication. Waggle noted that ongoing cooperation among students, parents, and campus staff is essential to preserving safety, expressing deep gratitude for the continued support and vigilance shown by school community members.

Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington also issued a formal statement addressing the incident, emphasizing that safeguarding the physical security and personal privacy of young people remains a paramount objective for the police department. Millington noted that children are entitled to feel entirely secure while at school and in every environment where they are meant to learn, develop, and experience youth without fear of intrusion.

Chief Millington concluded by highlighting that the protection and well-being of students is a profound institutional responsibility. He commended the proactive students who promptly brought the recording device to the attention of responsible adults, while also acknowledging the dedicated work of the responding officers and detectives who swiftly resolved the locker room investigation.