"These cases are very tough:" Former teacher sentenced to 90 days in prison, convicted of sexually assaulting student

GWINNETT COUNTY, Georgia -- A former teacher in Georgia was sentenced to 90 days in prison on Friday, July 14th following charges related to an inappropriate relationship last year with a student.

Therese Gunn, 54, of Grayson, a former teacher at South Gwinnett High School, resigned and turned herself in to Gwinnett police in May 2016.

After a guilty plea, she was sentenced despite her attorney's request for house arrest. Gunn's attorney said he respected the way Davis handled the case and paid close attention to the evidence and the testimony.

"These cases are very tough for everyone involved," Jim Wall wrote in an email to the Daily Post. "I really cannot take any issue at all with his decision. I have a lot of respect for the judge and I think his decision is probably spot on as to what should have happened, even though I was asking for something else."

In May 2016, Gunn was was arrested on charges of sexual assault and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor after an alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student.

Gunn resigned from South Gwinnett on April 19th, 2016, and a sexual assault police report was filed the next day with Gwinnett County police. Gwinnett police previously said the relationship began sometime in March 2016 and ended in less than two months. The report said that some of the sexual activity occurred at the school, at the teacher's residence and at Lenora Park.

A detective in the case learned that sexual activity occurred in both Gwinnett and a neighboring county. The detective also found that the teacher hosted a party at her home in Grayson, and during the party, the teacher allowed the 17-year old and two other female students to smoke marijuana under her direct supervision. According to the detective, the teacher smoked marijuana as well.

Wall described Gunn's demeanor in court as being "so overwhelmed with anxiety that she was unable to stand. This goes to show just how very remorseful she is over this entire episode. She regrets very much the pain she caused to the victim and his family as well as her own family and friends."

Gunn, a music teacher, had worked at the school since 2002.

Wall added that he truly does not believe that Gunn poses a threat to anyone or their children, and he's glad to see the case closed and hopefully find some healing.