Teacher gun discharge plea - A Utah elementary school teacher, who suffered injuries after her gun unexpectedly went off in a public school bathroom, has agreed to a plea deal after being charged with a misdemeanor.

On Wednesday, Michelle Montgomery, the teacher whose gun discharged accidentally, agreed to a plea of abeyance. She would pay a fine and take classes to learn about firearm safety and management. She is also obliged to provide the court with proof of her completion of the course by January next year. 

Reports indicate that Montgomery had been charged with a class B misdemeanor for discharging the firearm within the city. She did not contest the charges when he appeared in a Taylorville court last month.

Officials say as part of the teacher's gun discharge plea deal, Montgomery would be cleared of all charges after she pays her court fee of $705.  The condition will stand only if she does not break any laws over throughout the coming year.

The teacher's gun discharged accidentally on Sept. 11, when the 39-year-old took her 9 mm Glock handgun to the bathroom and put it on top the toilet-paper dispenser.

According to reports, Montgomery had initially told detectives a different story when she was arrested. She said her gun went off after it fell out of her holster while she visited the bathroom stall.

The sixth-grade teacher, who had worked at the Westbrook Elementary School in Salt Lake City for about 14 years, resigned after the shooting incident.

Reports indicate that she suffered minor injuries from the accident after fragments of the bullet and porcelain toilet reportedly stuck to her lower leg.

As part of the teacher's gun discharge plea, Montgomery has since paid the amount needed to reconstruct the school bathroom - $200.

Utah is one of the few states which permit residents with concealed firearms to carry their weapons into public schools.

Salt Lake City officials say under the law, public school administrators are prohibited from asking or stopping teachers from carrying their weapons to school. Teachers are also not obligated to disclose when they are in possession of a firearm.

The news of the incident and the teacher's gun discharge plea has reignited public debate about the state's gun control policy.