ENCINITAS — A social media influencer was arrested Wednesday morning after entering the campus of La Costa Canyon High School during a morning break and gathering with students while promoting a petition to mandate more outdoor time in schools.
The individual, identified online as Brendan Ruh, content creator and founder of Santa Cruz Paleo, a health and wellness brand that sells supplements and wellness products, was arrested by Carlsbad police on suspicion of trespassing and unauthorized entry onto school grounds.
The incident occurred on March 4 during the school’s morning nutrition break, according to school officials.
In a message to families, La Costa Canyon High School Principal Justin Conn said students notified school staff about an unauthorized adult on campus interacting with a large group of students, prompting staff to alert administrators and campus supervisors, who then contacted law enforcement.
“This individual is a social media influencer who was intercepted by law enforcement within minutes and later arrested for trespassing and entering a closed campus,” Conn said in a message to the school community shared with The Coast News.
According to the Carlsbad Police Department, Ruh was attempting to gather signatures via QR code for a petition advocating longer outdoor breaks at California schools.
Police arrested the individual on suspicion of trespassing and entering a school campus without authorization. The Carlsbad Police Department did not immediately respond to The Coast News’ request for comment.
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Shortly after the incident, videos of the encounter began circulating on social media.
In a statement posted online after the arrest, Ruh, a podcast host with 864,000 Instagram followers, said he had been filming a campaign video near the school for his petition.
In previous interviews, Ruh said he wants longer periods of outdoor time mandated for youth of all grade levels statewide. The online petition for the initiative currently has 3,640 signatures.
“As soon as we were near this high school, I was recognized, and a swarm of stoked students gathered,” Ruh wrote about the incident. “I was then placed under arrest for trespassing and ‘disrupting school.’”
Ruh apologized for the disruption and said he would avoid bringing his campaign near schools in the future.
“I have immense respect for the police who are doing a very difficult job,” he wrote. “The mission continues but I will not be raising awareness for this initiative near schools anymore as to not cause disruption.”
The Coast News attempted to contact Ruh for comment and will update the story with a response.
School officials emphasized that La Costa Canyon operates as a closed campus, meaning visitors must check in through the front office and follow district policies governing campus access.
Under district policy, all visitors are considered “outsiders” and must comply with Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 1250, which requires authorization before entering campus.
Conn said the district worked closely with the Carlsbad Police Department during the incident and credited students and staff for their quick response.
“The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority,” Conn said, noting the school’s ongoing partnership with the city and its assigned school resource officer.
No injuries were reported during the incident.