SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The Siloam Springs School Board has approved the resignation of Ethan Wells, a teacher in the district who has been accused of an inappropriate relationship with a student.

The resignation was approved during a regularly scheduled board meeting on April 13.

Superintendent Jody Wiggins recommended the board approve the resignation, which it did unanimously.

Wells, who served as an assistant choral director in the district, was put on administrative leave after his arrest on Feb. 23. He was booked into the Benton County jail on February 23 and was released on a $75,000 cash bond.

Despite Wells’ arrest on Feb. 23, his resignation was not approved until April 13.

While Wiggins said that he was unable to comment on any specific personnel issues, he noted that everything was moving along as it was supposed to.

“Generally speaking, under the Arkansas Teacher Fair Dismissal Act, a superintendent has the right to suspend an employee and inform them they are being recommended for termination by the Board,” Wiggins said.

“That would start a timeline of 30 days in which the employee would have the right to ask for a formal hearing before the board. The board cannot act on the termination until that 30 days has passed,” Wiggins added.

Teachers have the ability to submit a resignation before the 30 days is over, which would no longer require a termination.

Wells is accused of entering into an inappropriate relationship with a former student while they were enrolled in the district.

According to Arkansas criminal statutes, sexual assault in the first degree occurs when the person is a teacher, principal, athletic coach or counselor in a school from grades K-12 and “engages in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity with a person who is not the actor’s spouse” and is under 21, enrolled in the school and the actor is “in a position of trust or authority over the victim.”

Wells has a hearing on April 17.