A California high school football coach was taken into custody Friday after students allegedly found a cellphone covertly recording inside a campus locker room as they changed, authorities said.
Tracy Police said Saturday that the device was traced to Jeffrey Pribble, 48, a teacher at Tracy High School, located east of San Francisco.
School website information and social media pages identify Pribble as Tracy High School’s varsity football head coach and a member of its physical education staff.
According to his Facebook page, Pribble had spent five years leading the football program and had worked as an educator in the district for 22 years.
FILE — People enter Tracy High School in Tracy, California, where football coach Jeffrey Pribble was arrested Friday. (Google Maps)
Officials said the alleged recording device was discovered Thursday by one student and several classmates inside the locker room.
The students halted the recording, deleted the footage and gave the cellphone to a teacher, authorities said.
Later Thursday, a parent contacted Tracy police out of concern. School resource officers and detectives subsequently began investigating the incident.
Investigators determined the next day that the phone belonged to Pribble, leading to his arrest Friday, police said.
The Tracy Unified School District said Pribble has been placed on leave while both a criminal investigation and a separate district review remain underway.
According to the Pleasanton Weekly, Tracy High Principal Jon Waggle acknowledged the arrest of an employee in an email to parents.
FILE — Jeffrey Pribble served as Tracy High School’s varsity football coach for five years and worked in the district for 22 years, according to his Facebook page. (Google Maps)
The school did not identify the teacher or the specific allegations but noted that the district was fully cooperating with police.
“We understand that this news may raise serious concerns in the District community. 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,” Waggle wrote.
“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.”
Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington added that the safety and privacy of the city’s students remain among the department’s top priorities.
“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.
FILE — The Tracy Unified School District said Pribble will remain on leave while authorities continue investigating. (iStock)
“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.”
News Media reached out to Tracy High School for more information.