‘School Is a Prime Target for Adults Interested in Minors’: California HS Football Coach Arrested After Students Find Recording Device in Locker Room That Police Traced Back to Him
Tracy HS Football Coach Arrested for Placing Hidden Camera in Locker Room
The Tracy Police Department said Jeffrey Pribble, 48, was arrested last week after a concerned parent at Tracy High School contacted them.
According to police, a student and several classmates discovered a phone recording them in the locker room while they were changing. The students stopped the recording, deleted the video and turned the phone over to a teacher. The police stepped in when a parent reported the incident to authorities.
ALERT: California high school football coach arrested after students allegedly found his phone recording them in the locker room.
Students at Tracy High School in San Joaquin County found a phone in the locker room that was still recording, paused it, and deleted the video.
Investigators Traced Phone Back to Football Coach Jeffrey Pribble
School resource officers and detectives with the General Investigations Unit continued the investigation, ultimately tracing the phone to Pribble and arresting him on campus.
Following his arrest, the Tracy Unified School District placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of its investigation.
“Our children deserve to feel safe at school and in every space where they should be able to learn, grow, and simply be kids,” said Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington. “Protecting the safety, privacy, and well-being of our students is a responsibility we take seriously. We are grateful to the students who brought this incident to the attention of adults and to the officers and detectives who acted quickly to investigate.”
In a letter sent to families, Tracy High School Principal Jon Waggle confirmed that a staff member had been arrested on campus, though he declined to name Pribble specifically. According to his Facebook page and sports records, the longtime coach and physical education teacher also acts as the Tracy site director for Next Level Flag Football.
“We understand that this news may raise serious concerns in the District community,” Waggle wrote in the email. “The District too is concerned about the well-being of its students and staff and is committed to holding its employees to the highest professional and ethical standards.”
“Moving forward, the District will continue to work with law enforcement and take any and all necessary actions to protect students,” he continued. “Tracy High School and all our Tracy Unified schools are proud of being safe schools. The cooperation between students, parents and staff members keeps our schools safe and is important and appreciated. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.”
Community Reacts to Arrest of Peeping Tom Coach
The incident triggered widespread reaction across social media and the local community. While some residents speculated online that the coach may have set up the phone to monitor unsupervised student behavior in the locker room, others questioned the circumstances surrounding the device. The decision by students to delete the video before handing the phone over to staff has added another layer of complexity to the police investigation.
“Why delete it?,” one person asked.
“They deleted the vid cuz the little s**t’s were up to no good! The coach shouldn’t have acted alone in his suspicions though….should have reported what he heard and let administration handle it. That was a dumb move by him,” one X user commented.
Police have released no official explanation for why the device was recording inside the locker room, leaving the coach’s intent unconfirmed.
“Schools really should be vetting their employees like it’s security clearance. Working in a school seems like a prime target for adults interested in minors, surely I’m not the 1st to think that,” one user tweeted.
“Another sick fk teacher in our schools….Shocker. Toss the key…,” one parent expressed.
California high school football coach Jeffrey Pribble, was arrested at Tracy High School in San Joaquin County, after students allegedly found his phone recording them in the locker room. (Screenshot/@TracyHS Facebook)
Tracy High School Continues Undefeated Season Without Former Coach
On the field, the undefeated Tracy High football team won its game Friday night (56-0) without its head coach, advancing to 3-0 this season. Assistant coach Justin Evans took over sideline duties and commended the players for their focus and resilience during a challenging week for the program.
“They stayed focused all night, not allowing any distractions or the moment to get to them. Our offensive line was amazing tonight. We had time to pass and the running lanes were wide open,” Evans said, according to tracyhighfootball.com.
With the legal case pending, the program continues its season under interim leadership.
