Sobbing Utah teacher, 35, admits having sex with three of her male students - in trysts that were so well known that classmates joked: 'Who is Ms Altice sleeping with now?' 

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A former Utah high school teacher accused of having sex with three of her male students took a plea deal Wednesday to avoid a trial, sobbing as she accepted the agreement in court.

One of the boys was 16 and two were 17 when they were having sex with Davis High School English teacher Brianne Altice, 35.

One testified that he considered her to be his girlfriend during their yearlong tryst.

But the boys were all minors, and Utah law also says a person cannot consent to sex if the other person is in a position of special trust. Altice could face up to 45 years in prison when she is sentenced next month.

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Guilty: Former Davis High School English teacher Brianne Altice, 35, pictured here in court on Wednesday, pleaded guilty to three counts of forcible sexual abuse involving three male students 

Lengthy prison sentence: Altice accepted the agreement in exchange for prosecutors dropping 11 other counts, including several first-degree felonies. She could face up to 45 years in prison when she is sentenced next month

Altice pleaded guilty to three counts of forcible sexual abuse in exchange for prosecutors dropping 11 other counts, including several first-degree felonies.

School officials knew about Altice's inappropriate behavior and didn't do enough to protect the students, the boys and their parents say.

In one of two lawsuits filed against the Davis School District, the plaintiffs said the running joke at the high school was, ‘Who is Ms. Altice sleeping with now?’

Davis School District spokesman Chris Williams said he would love to comment on the allegations but that the civil lawsuit precludes him from saying anything.

Prosecutor Susan Hunt said the three victims are on board with the plea deal, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Altice is scheduled to be sentenced May 28. Each count carries a possible sentence of 1 to 15 years in prison.

Altice's attorney, Ed Brass, said his client wanted to resolve a case to avoid risking an uncertain outcome at trial. Brass previously defended Altice, saying she was no longer the boys' teacher when the sex occurred.

Altice's attorney said his client, pictured in court back in January, wanted to resolve a case to avoid risking an uncertain outcome at trial

Altice was first arrested in October 2013 after a student reported having a relationship with her. Two more victims later came forward with similar allegations.

She was out on bail during most of the criminal proceedings until allegations emerged earlier this year that she had sex with the third victim following her 2013 arrest. A judge ordered her to jail, where she's been for the three months.

Brass asked the judge Wednesday to let Altice out on bail until her sentencing, but the judge denied the request.

Brianne Altice was hired by the Davis County School District in 2004 and had been teaching at the high school since August 2012. She was put on leave from the school after the allegations came to light and later fired in February 2014.  

She had been ordered last month to stand trial on 14 felony charges, including rape, sodomy, sexual abuse and sex with a minor, in connection to her suspected affairs with three students.

In mid-March, one of the alleged victims brought a $647,000 lawsuit against the Davis County School District accusing officials of negligence for failing to fire the 'flirtatious' teacher before she started a sexual relationship with him.

More legal trouble: Two students have filed lawsuits against the Davis County School District in Utah accusing officials of failing to fire English teacher Brianne Altice, pictured in court in January, who is accused of having sex with three boys 

Earlier this month, another student sued the district for hiring Altice, reported The Salt Lake Tribune. 

Court documents detailed how at times, the students skipped other classes and spent entire days with Altice, sent her text messages and made explicit comments to her.

On her part, the 35-year-old Altice confided in her teenage admirers about her martial problems. According to the complaint, the relationship between the woman and the boys in her class eventually turned physical. 

Similarly to the first lawsuit, the new complaint alleged that the school district was aware of Brianne Altice's inappropriate behavior but failed to take action against her. 

She allegedly had sex with the third student while she was out on  bail for charges relating to the first two students. 

The student who brought the initial lawsuit in March accused the district of being negligent when it hired Altice and says it is responsible for the damage she inflicted on him.

He claimed they started a relationship in early 2013 after they flirted during class and texted and ultimately started kissing and having sex.

He stated that the school district had reprimanded Altice after seeing photos of her having inappropriate contact with students but she was not fired, the Tribune reported. 

Despite the claims against her, one of her alleged victims has previously testified that the charges against Altice are 'ridiculous' and 'she doesn't deserve to be here'.

In trouble: Altice, pictured at a hearing in February 2014, allegedly had sex with the boys from early 2013

One of her victims has accused the school district of failing to fire the English teacher, left, even though it knew she had acted inappropriately with students. She was first taken into custody in 2013

He told the court he had sex with Altice once prior to October 2013 - when she was initially arrested - and then three more times after that in December, while she was out on bail.

In August 2014, a second student came forward to say he had also had a physical relationship with the former Davis High English teacher, whose marriage fell apart in the aftermath of the scandal.