A high school football coach in California was taken into custody after students found a cellphone secretly recording them in a locker room. Police identified the coach as Jeffrey Pribble, a teacher at Tracy High School, located east of San Francisco. Pribble serves as the varsity football head coach and works in the physical education program at the school.

Pribble, 48, has been in his current role for five years and has 22 years of experience with the district. The arrest followed the discovery on Thursday when students found and stopped the phone recording in the locker room. They deleted the video and informed a teacher. A concerned parent reached out to the police, which led to an investigation by school resource officers and detectives.

By Friday, investigators confirmed that the phone belonged to Pribble, resulting in his arrest. The Tracy Unified School District placed him on leave pending the outcomes of criminal and district investigations. Tracy High Principal Jon Waggle informed parents about the arrest in an email.

Principal Waggle stated that the district is cooperating with police and is focused on the well-being of students and staff. The police department emphasized the importance of student safety and privacy. Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington noted that the department prioritizes protecting children in school. The Tracy Unified School District affirmed Pribble’s continued leave as investigations proceed.

The school and district officials underscored their commitment to maintaining a safe environment. They praised students for alerting adults about the incident and thanked the officers and detectives for their swift response.