Jonathan M. Fey, the former principal of Amador Valley High School in Northern California, has resigned following allegations of inappropriate conduct with current and former students. Fey was accused of using the popular gay dating app, Grindr, to solicit sexual encounters, even expressing fantasies about a “secret school tryst.”
Fey allegedly used an account named “eyes emoji” to contact the students. In one conversation with a former student, the account holder wrote, “I really have always liked you,” and admitted to going out of their way to greet the student during the previous school year. The account holder also expressed a desire to “hook up” and requested that their identity remain a secret.
In a separate conversation with a current student, whom the account holder referred to as “hella hot,” the user expressed a desire for a secret school tryst. When the student asked if the account holder was the principal of Amador Valley High School, the user responded evasively.
The former student eventually confronted the account holder, expressing discomfort with the conversation. The student pointed out the inappropriate nature of the interaction, given the age difference and the fact that Fey was a married man with children.
Fey, 54, who had been employed by the district since 2022, was placed on administrative leave before being informed in February that he was being terminated. Fey contested the decision, but ultimately accepted a $254,000 settlement last week.
Despite the allegations, Fey maintains his innocence, claiming that his identity was stolen. His attorney has pointed to previous instances of students at Amador Valley High impersonating others online.
Fey issued a statement through a public relations firm denying the allegations. Justin Brown, the president of the Pleasanton Unified School District board, stated that a third-party investigator had substantiated the allegations of misconduct, which the district and board took seriously.
The school district chose to settle the appeal to avoid the stress of a hearing for students and staff and to conserve resources that would otherwise be spent on litigation.