KNOXVILLE — A Knox County teacher acknowledged that he crossed professional lines, but vehemently denied "he was trying to arrange a sexual encounter" with a former student, according to an email in his personnel file addressed to school officials.

Brandon Belue, who has taught at Karns Middle School for the last 13 years, was put on administrative leave with pay on March 27 pending an investigation into allegations that he had inappropriate contact with a former student.

According to documents in Belue's personnel file, the allegations against him were "failure to report or stop inappropriate behavior in a classroom and discussing student's information with nonstaff members."