MT. JULIET, Tenn. -
A Wilson County teacher resigned this week after a student slapped another in the face during her Spanish class.
Mt. Juliet High School teacher Kim Evans told The Tennessean she was helping another student with schoolwork during the February 1 incident and couldn't have known what was going on.
A video of the slapping appeared on YouTube, prompting school officials to launch an investigation and suspension Evans, 32, on Friday.
Evans reportedly feared termination, so she resigned Monday, hoping she might someday teach again.
The incident in Evans' classroom happened when two male students made a bet over a toy and the winner got to slap the loser.
School Board member Vikki Adkins told The Tennessean school officials who had seen the video described conduct more "serious" than a spontaneous slapping.
She said she stood by the decision to accept Evans' resignation.
About learning of Evans' resignation, Mt. Juliet students took to Twitter and Facebook where several described her as a great teacher and seemed upset to see her portrayed in a negative light.
"You changed my life," one wrote.
Another said, "You Were My Favorite Teacher."
"I'm gonna miss you," said a third.
One of the boys playing the game even apologized on Facebook, saying it was his entire fault.
Student Brandon Shepard told Nashville's News 2 Evans was "one of the best" teachers at the school.
He said, "She was well liked, well received and my friends, they all liked her, loved her, and thought she was a good teacher."
"They said she was a bad apple and she's not," he continued. "She's a very good teacher."
Evans began teaching at Mt. Juliet High School in 2005.
The students involved in the game have been disciplined.
The YouTube video of the incident has been removed from the Internet.
