Police say students found a cellphone recording inside a locker room; the teacher and football coach was later placed on administrative leave.
TRACY, Calif. — Tracy High School teacher and head football coach Jeff Pribble, 48, was arrested Friday after police said students discovered a cellphone recording them while they were changing inside an on-campus locker room.
The investigation began Thursday evening, Sept. 10, when Tracy police were contacted by a concerned parent, according to the Police Department. Officers learned that a student and several classmates had found a cellphone that was recording inside the locker room. The students stopped the recording, deleted the video and gave the device to a teacher. Police have not publicly identified the students involved.
School resource officers and detectives with the department’s General Investigations Unit continued working on the case Friday, Sept. 11. Police said investigators determined that the cellphone belonged to Pribble, who is employed as a teacher at Tracy High School. Officers arrested him on the school campus later that day. The department’s public announcement did not specify what criminal charge, if any, had been filed in connection with the arrest.
Tracy Unified School District placed Pribble on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, according to police and local reporting. Tracy High School’s athletics website identifies Pribble as the school’s head football coach. The football program’s own website also listed him as head coach of the varsity team for the 2026 season before the arrest.
Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington said the department was treating the safety, privacy and well-being of students as a serious responsibility. He also credited the students for bringing the incident to the attention of adults and investigators for responding quickly after police were notified. Authorities have not publicly said how long the cellphone had been recording or whether investigators were able to recover the deleted video.
Tracy High Principal Jon Waggle addressed the arrest in a message to families, according to the Pleasanton Weekly. The message said a district employee had been arrested and that the district was cooperating with law enforcement, but it did not identify Pribble or describe the allegations. Waggle said the district was concerned about the well-being of students and staff and would take necessary steps to protect students as the investigation continued.
Public school and football program records show Pribble has had a long association with athletics in Tracy. The high school’s athletics page lists him as the football program’s head coach, while a youth flag football program associated with Tracy High identifies him as its Tracy site director and says he began working with the Tracy High football program in 2003. Those records provide background on his coaching roles but do not establish anything about the allegations under investigation.
The Police Department has released few details about what investigators found after taking possession of the cellphone. Authorities have not publicly announced a motive, said whether investigators believe there were other recordings or identified additional alleged incidents. No student names have been released, preserving the privacy of those involved in the school-based investigation.
It was not immediately clear Sunday whether Pribble had retained an attorney who could respond to the allegations. His arrest does not establish guilt, and any criminal allegations would have to be proved through the legal process. Police said the investigation remains active, while the school district’s separate review is also continuing and Pribble remains on leave.
Author note: Last updated September 13, 2026.