TRACY, Calif. — A longtime Tracy High School teacher and varsity football coach was arrested after student athletes discovered a cellphone actively recording them while they changed clothes inside an on-campus locker room, according to the Tracy Police Department.
The discovery triggered a police investigation, the arrest of 48-year-old Jeffrey Pribble, and separate action by the Tracy Unified School District, which placed him on leave. As of the latest reporting reviewed by Newsleash, prosecutors had not announced the filing of formal criminal charges.
Students discover phone while changing
Tracy police said the incident came to authorities’ attention on the evening of Sept. 10, 2026, when a concerned parent contacted officers after learning that students had discovered a cellphone recording inside an on-campus locker room.
Police said a student and several classmates were changing clothes when they found the device recording them. The students stopped the recording, deleted the video and turned the cellphone over to a teacher.
KCRA reported that the incident occurred in the boys’ locker room. The police department’s own release describes the location more generally as an on-campus locker room.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed exactly where the phone had been positioned, how long it had been recording, how many students may have appeared in the footage, or whether investigators were able to recover the deleted recording.
Police also have not announced whether other recordings were located on the device or in any associated account or cloud-storage service.
Investigation leads to teacher and head football coach
School resource officers and detectives assigned to the Tracy Police Department General Investigations Unit continued the investigation on Sept. 11. Police said investigators determined that the cellphone belonged to Pribble, a teacher at Tracy High School.
Pribble also served as the school’s varsity head football coach and worked in physical education. Officers arrested him at Tracy High School on Sept. 11.
KCRA reported that Pribble was processed by police, issued a citation and released rather than booked into the San Joaquin County Jail. An arrest is not a finding of guilt, and a police allegation is distinct from a formal charge filed by prosecutors.
Prosecutors had not filed formal charges
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office told the Los Angeles Times on Sept. 14 that the matter had not yet been referred to prosecutors for consideration of criminal charges. The San Francisco Chronicle likewise reported that formal charges had not been filed as of its latest report.
The exact count or counts that could ultimately be filed will depend on the evidence submitted by investigators and the district attorney’s review. Pribble is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
California law and privacy in changing areas
California Penal Code section 647(j) addresses certain forms of secret viewing and recording in places where people reasonably expect privacy, including changing rooms and similar private areas. Whether any specific provision will be formally charged in this case is a decision for prosecutors; Newsleash is not treating the statute as a filed charge.
District places Pribble on leave
The Tracy Unified School District placed Pribble on leave while the investigation continues. Tracy High Principal Jon Waggle told families that the district was concerned about the welfare of students and staff, was cooperating with law enforcement and remained committed to professional and ethical standards.
The Los Angeles Times reported that district officials said Pribble had been placed on leave before his on-campus arrest and confirmed that he also worked as a physical education teacher.
Long ties to Tracy football
Public coaching biographies and school athletics records show that Pribble had longstanding ties to the Tracy football program. A Next Level Flag Football biography says he joined the Tracy High program in 2003 after beginning his coaching career at Pleasant Valley High School in 2000. Public football records identify him as Tracy High’s head varsity coach beginning with the 2021 season.
Team played the day of the arrest
Tracy High was scheduled to play Lathrop High School on Sept. 11, the same day Pribble was arrested. Tracy played without him and won 56-0. Assistant coach Justin Evans handled coaching responsibilities, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Police chief praises students for reporting the discovery
Police Chief Sekou Millington said children deserve to feel safe at school and thanked the students who brought the incident to adults as well as the officers and detectives who acted quickly. Police emphasized student privacy and safety as the investigation continues.
Questions investigators have not publicly answered
Authorities have not publicly said how long the phone had been recording, how many students were captured, precisely where the device was positioned, whether the deleted video was forensically recovered, whether previous recordings existed, whether any material had been backed up or transferred elsewhere, whether additional potential victims have been identified, or whether investigators seized other electronic devices.
Those unanswered questions should not be interpreted as proof that investigators have or have not found additional evidence; they are simply details that have not been publicly released.
Police seek information
Anyone with information may contact Tracy Police Detective Brian Cockey at (209) 831-6602 or Brian.Cockey@TracyPD.com, or Detective Joseph Bourassa at (209) 831-6969 or Joseph.Bourassa@TracyPD.com. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the department’s Tip Line at (209) 831-6TIP or TracyCrimeStoppers@TracyPD.com.
Case remains active
The Tracy Police Department describes the investigation as ongoing. Pribble remains accused, not convicted. Newsleash will update the case if police, prosecutors or the Tracy Unified School District release additional information.
Sources: Tracy Police Department; KCRA 3; CBS Sacramento; Los Angeles Times; San Francisco Chronicle.
