California High School Football Coach Arrested After Students Discover Hidden Recording Device in Locker Room

A California high school community has been shaken after a veteran educator and varsity football coach was taken into custody following the discovery of a mobile phone secretly recording students inside a campus locker room. The Tracy Police Department confirmed that 48-year-old Jeffrey Pribble, a physical education teacher and longtime varsity football head coach at Tracy High School, was arrested after an investigation linked the recording device directly to him.

The disturbing incident began to unfold on a Thursday when students utilizing the campus changing facilities noticed something suspicious. A student, along with several peers, discovered that an active mobile phone had been concealed inside the locker room to covertly capture video footage while individuals were changing their clothes.

Demonstrating notable presence of mind, the students took immediate action upon spotting the operating device. They halted the ongoing recording, erased the captured video files from the phone, and promptly delivered the device to a faculty member on campus to ensure school authorities were alerted to the privacy violation.

By Thursday evening, the incident was brought to the attention of local law enforcement after a concerned parent contacted patrol officers with the Tracy Police Department. The initial report prompted both dedicated school resource officers and department detectives to open a formal investigation into the origin, placement, and ownership of the hidden phone.

Investigative efforts moved rapidly over the ensuing hours as detectives examined the device and gathered information surrounding the locker room discovery. By Friday, authorities conclusively determined that the phone belonged to Pribble, leading officers to place the 48-year-old teacher under arrest.

Pribble has long been an established presence within the school and the surrounding educational district. According to official school information and district social media channels, he has served as the varsity football head coach at Tracy High School for the past five years while teaching within the school's physical education department. Public records from his professional profile further indicate that he has accumulated 22 years of educational experience working within the Tracy Unified School District.

Following the arrest, district administrators moved quickly to address the situation. The Tracy Unified School District officially placed Pribble on leave as he faces an active criminal case alongside internal district inquiries.

Tracy High School Principal Jon Waggle reached out to the broader school community through an email to parents and guardians, acknowledging that a school employee had been arrested. While the administrative correspondence did not explicitly identify Pribble by name or outline the specific statutory allegations, it made clear that district officials are cooperating fully with law enforcement.

In his written message to families, Principal Waggle addressed the shock and unease that such developments cause across the community. He noted that district leaders understood the news would raise serious concerns, emphasizing that the district shares that concern for student and staff well-being and remains dedicated to holding all employees to the highest professional and ethical standards.

Waggle further reinforced the campus commitment to sustaining a protected learning atmosphere. He emphasized that Tracy High School and all associated schools across the Tracy Unified School District take immense pride in maintaining safe facilities, pointing out that ongoing cooperation among students, parents, and school staff is essential to preserving campus security.

Municipal law enforcement leaders also emphasized the critical nature of privacy protections on school grounds. Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington issued a public statement reiterating that the privacy, physical safety, and general welfare of children remain among the police department's utmost operational priorities.

Chief Millington emphasized the fundamental expectation that students must be safeguarded while participating in academics and extracurricular athletic programs. He noted that children deserve to feel secure at school and in every educational space where they are meant to learn, mature, and simply be kids without fear of intrusion.

Law enforcement officials specifically praised the students whose vigilance brought the hidden recording device to light. By acting quickly, disabling the recording, and immediately reporting the discovery to responsible adults, the students ensured that police detectives and administrators could act promptly to identify the suspect.

As the legal process begins, Pribble remains on administrative leave pending the outcomes of both the criminal proceedings and the district's internal review. The case continues to underscore the vital necessity of student vigilance and institutional accountability in safeguarding privacy across high school campuses.