Tracy High School Football Coach Arrested Over Locker‑Room Recording

The news hit the campus of Tracy High School last Friday like a bolt of lightning: varsity football coach Jeffrey Pribble, who’s been with the school since 2004 and took over as head coach in 2021, was taken into custody after a student found a phone secretly recording in the boys’ locker room.

According to the Tracy Police Department, the phone was discovered while a group of seniors were changing. The kids immediately stopped the recording, wiped the video and handed the device to a staff member, who later turned it over to police.

Officers say the charge is a misdemeanor – basically a violation of California’s privacy law that makes it illegal to use a concealed camera or, in this case, a cell‑phone camera to capture an identifiable person who is partially or fully undressed in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Pribble was cited on the spot, processed at the police station and released without being booked into the San Joaquin County Jail. He’s currently on administrative leave while the district and investigators sort through the details.

“It feels weird because I wasn’t there. I don’t have any more… hearing about something that could have affected me personally makes me kind of wary about how other students are going to be affected,” said junior David Reynoso, who asked to remain anonymous.

The Tracy Unified School District released a brief statement: “We are deeply concerned about the allegations and remain focused on protecting the safety of our students.” No comment was obtained from Pribble despite repeated attempts by reporters.

The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office said it has not yet received any formal information about the case, leaving the investigation in its early stages.

The incident has reignited conversations across the state about privacy in school facilities, the responsibilities of coaches and staff, and how schools can better safeguard students against unwanted recordings.

For now, the football program remains on pause, and parents, students and faculty alike are waiting for answers.