One of two Vina High School teachers accused of having a sexual relationship with a student pleaded guilty Friday morning. Sonny Tibbs was arrested in November 2013 on accusations of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student from Vina High School.
Friday, Tibbs entered a guilty plea for Assault and Sexual Misconduct. For Assault, Tibbs was sentenced to a 10-year split sentence. He will serve 60 days in jail and be on probation for five years.
For Sexual Misconduct, Tibbs received a 1-year split sentence to run concurrently to his other charge. He was forced to give up his teaching certificate and register as a sex offender.
Tibbs was a Vina High School teacher and coach for 9 years, but was employed at Vina Elementary School as a P.E. coach at the time of his arrest.
Shortly after Tibbs was arrested, A second Vina High school coach was charged with being a school employee engaging in a sexual act with a student under the age of 19.
Boys’ basketball coach Brian Scott Keeton just five days after Tibbs.
Keeton is accused of having sex with a different 17-year-old student. Tibbs will start serving his sentence in January.
Tibbs is also a former Centre Middle School Teacher/Coach.
Source; WHNT News 19