Principal resigns after allegedly using Grindr to pursue ‘secret school tryst’ with student

A pervy high school principal resigned after he was found seeking sex with a current and former student on Grindr, where he fantasized about having “a secret school tryst,” according to a report.

Jonathan M. Fey, the then-principal of Amador Valley High School in northern California, allegedly contacted the students on the popular gay hookup app from an account dubbed “eyes emoji,” according to Ed Source, an outlet that covers California education.

“I really have always liked you,” the “eyes emoji” account messaged the former student, according to communications shown in an investigative report by the Pleasanton Unified School District.

“Didn’t you notice last year I would go out of my way to say hi or smile every time I saw you?”

He also expressed a desire to “hook up” and asked that his identity be kept a “secret,” according to the report.

In a separate communication between the “eyes emoji” Grindr account and a current student, he calls “hella hot,” the user said that “there’s a part of me that would love a secret school tryst.”

At one point, the student asked, “Are you the principle [sic] of Amador?”

“Why do you think that?” the user responded — with the student replying, “I just know buddy trust me you are not discreet.”

After an exchange of uncomfortably flirty messages, the former student had finally had enough, telling him, “This is embarrassing to read.”

“I don’t want to sound rude but you a grown man with a wife and kids and you’re acting like this is your first high school relationship. Honestly, i’m not sure what you’re expecting,” he continued. “The fact that you used to be my principal when I was in high school and the age difference is just so creepy.”

Fey, 54, who had worked at the district since 2022, learned in February that he was being fired after spending months on administrative leave.

He appealed that decision before accepting a $254,000 settlement last week.

Fey has maintained that he was not “eyes emoji” and believes his identity was stolen.

His lawyer has said there were previous instances of Amador Valley High students pretending to be other people online.

“The allegations made against me are false,” Fey said in a statement through a public relations firm.

Justin Brown, the Pleasanton Unified School District board president, told EdSource that “a neutral third-party investigator substantiated allegations of misconduct by Mr. Fey, which the district and the board of trustees took seriously.” 

The school district “chose to settle the upcoming [appeal] to avoid subjecting students and staffers the stressors of testifying in an adversarial hearing” and to “preserve resources that otherwise would be spent in litigation,” he said.