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Teachers

Lawsuit Accuses Former School Administrator of Failing to Prevent Shooting

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A former assistant principal at a Virginia elementary school ignored multiple warnings that a 6-year-old student had a gun in the hours before he shot his teacher, an attorney for the teacher said Tuesday as a trial opened in the woman's $40 million lawsuit. The shooting occurred on January 6, 2023, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, where teacher Abby Zwerner was shot in the hand and chest. Zwerner spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, required six surgeries, and does not have the full use of her left hand. A bullet remains in her chest.

Key Takeaways:

  • The lawsuit accuses former school administrator Ebony Parker of failing to act after four different people went to her with concerns that the student brought a gun to school.
  • Parker had the authority to search the student, remove him from the classroom, and call law enforcement but failed to do so, according to Zwerner's attorney, Diane Toscano.
  • The shooting occurred on the first day after the student had returned from a suspension for slamming Zwerner's phone two days earlier.
  • Parker's attorney, Daniel Hogan, argued that decision-making in a public school setting is "cooperative" and "collaborative."
  • The case is notable because criminal charges against school officials following a school shooting are rare, with each of the eight counts against Parker punishable by up to five years in prison.
  • Parker faces a separate criminal trial next month on eight counts of felony child neglect, one for each of the bullets that endangered all the students in Zwerner's classroom.
  • The student's mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges.

Statistics:

  • January 6, 2023: The date of the shooting at Richneck Elementary School.
  • 6 years old: The age of the student who shot his teacher.
  • 4 different people: The number of individuals who went to Ebony Parker with concerns that the student brought a gun to school.
  • $40 million: The amount of the lawsuit filed by Abby Zwerner.
  • 6 surgeries: The number of surgeries Zwerner required after being shot.
  • 1 bullet remaining: The number of bullets still in Zwerner's chest.

Sources:

  • Diane Toscano, attorney for Abby Zwerner.
  • Daniel Hogan, attorney for Ebony Parker.
  • Associated Press (CNN) -- (AP) -- Abbreviated to avoid internal document link duplication.
  • Prosecutors.

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