The principal of a Northern California high school resigned after an investigation concluded that he used the Grindr app to have explicit sexually conversations with a former student and a current student, according to documents from the Pleasanton Unified School District.

Jonathan M. Fey, the former principal of Amador Valley High School, was notified of his termination in February after several months of administrative leave. I have subsequently accepted a $254,000 settlement that includes back pay and legal fees, according to public records obtained by EdSource and the Pleasanton Weekly. “The district and the school board took the allegations very seriously,” said Justin Brown, president of the Pleasanton school board, who confirmed that an outside investigator corroborated the allegations of misconduct. Brown explained that the agreement avoided subjecting students and staff “to the stress of testifying in a contentious hearing.”

A Secret Date at School

The district investigation revealed that Fey allegedly contacted the young women from a Grindr account identified by an “eyes emoji.”

In the conversations included in the report, the user wrote to a former student: “I've always really liked you. Didn't you notice last year that I made an effort to say hi or smile at you every time I saw you?” In another message, he expressed that he found her “subtle feminine touch” “very attractive.”

Another student stated that the same user proposed “a secret date at school.” In response, the young man rebuked him for his behavior: "You're a grown man with a wife and kids, and you're acting like this is your first high school relationship. The fact that you were my principal and the age difference is just creepy." The former student who reported the initial contact said that Fey followed him on Instagram the day after they spoke on the Grindr account, leading him to suspect that it was the principal. He also provided screenshots of the conversations to the district. Fey has denied the allegations and maintains that he was not the owner of the “eye emoji” account.Through a San Jose-based public relations firm, I have stated in a press release that “the allegations made against me are false.” His attorney asserted that there was a history of Amador Valley students impersonating others online. Fey filed a complaint with the Pleasanton Police Department for alleged identity theft; However, authorities indicated that no charges were filed and no arrests were made. The school district informed the California Commission on Teacher Accreditation, as required by state law, that Fey was removed from his position for alleged misconduct. The commission will have to decide whether a sanction is warranted, which could include the revocation of his teaching credential. In a public statement, district officials expressed their “sincere hope that the district's swift action in response to these allegations, and the removal of Mr. Fey, will bring this situation to a close for all involved.” They also urged parents to report any concerns or potential misconduct to school officials and the Pleasanton Police Department.