• 46°
franklin county times

Top stories of 2013: Two Vina teachers arrested for sleeping with students

Vina High School teachers Brian Scott Keeton (left) and Sonny Dewayne Tibbs (right) were both arrested on felony charges for alleged affairs with two different VHS students.
Vina High School teachers Brian Scott Keeton (left) and Sonny Dewayne Tibbs (right) were both arrested on felony charges for alleged affairs with two different VHS students.

Perhaps one of the biggest stories of the year came out of the small town of Vina where two teachers were accused of having sex with two different 17-year-old female students.

Brian Scott Keeton, 38, of Carbon Hill, was arrested on Nov. 13 and charged with one count 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.

This arrest came just five days after Vina physical education teacher Sonny Dewaine Tibbs, 35, of Hamilton, was arrested on three counts of the same charge after law enforcement officials discovered he had allegedly been sexually involved with a 17-year-old Vina senior.

Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver said Keeton and Tibbs were both accused of having sex with different 17-year-old female students – Keeton on one occasion and Tibbs on three separate occasions.

Oliver said the alleged incidents did not take place on school grounds.

Oliver said the sheriff’s office was made aware of the allegations against Keeton through the investigation of Tibbs.

“While our investigators were following up on the allegations against Mr. Tibbs, information came to light that indicated Mr. Keeton had also been involved in a sexual relationship with a different student at Vina,” Oliver said.

Oliver said investigators spoke with the 17-year-old student on the morning of Nov. 12 before picking Keeton up at Vina High School for questioning.

Tibbs reportedly confessed to his ongoing relationship with a student, but Oliver said Keeton denied the allegations against him.

According to school officials, this was Keeton’s second year as a math teacher at Vina and his first year as the head coach of the boys basketball team. Tibbs has been employed by VHS for eight years as a physical education teacher and former girls basketball coach.

“We are shocked and saddened at the recent actions alleged against two teachers in our school system,” Franklin County Schools Superintendent Gary Williams said following Keeton’s arrest.

“This is certainly not the kind of behavior we would ever condone, and we are cooperating fully with both investigations.”

Both teachers have been suspended with pay per Alabama law until the allotted amount of time has passed and a hearing is held to determine their dismissal.

A public meeting with school officials and members of the law enforcement community was held at the school on Dec. 9 to discuss the arrests with concerned parents, teachers, community members and students.

“I think the meeting went very well, and I think the speakers and officials did a good job explaining the situation and answering questions,” assistant superintendent Donald Borden said.

“Vina is a good school, with good teachers, good students, and a good administration, and we want the parents and the community to feel like it is still a safe and secure place for their children to be.

“These incidents have caused a lot of negative opinions and discussion about Vina, but we want people to understand that this isn’t a reflection on Vina High School or the Vina community as a whole. It is a reflection on a couple of people and the bad choices they made. Hopefully this meeting helped people to see that.”

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x