Accused Vina teacher resigns

Sonny Tibbs

A Vina teacher who admitted to having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student officially resigned from his teaching position on Thursday.

At their meeting on Jan. 2, Franklin County school board members accepted the resignation of 35-year-old Sonny Tibbs, of Hamilton, who was arrested on Nov. 8 on three counts of being a school employee engaging in a sexual act with a student under the age of 19, which is a Class B felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Tibbs had been employed as the Vina physical education teacher for the past eight years.

Franklin County Superintendent Gary Williams said Tibbs had initially requested a hearing on the issue of his termination, but he apparently changed his mind over the Christmas holidays.

“The hearing regarding [Tibbs’] termination was scheduled for Jan. 2, but I received a registered letter on [Dec. 30] stating he wished to resign,” Williams said.

“Now that his resignation has been accepted, I hope to continue to move forward from this incident, and I hope that something like this never happens again at one of our schools.”