George Parker, the former superintendent, did not immediately return a cellphone message. “The School Board and the school division’s leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools." “Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery," said a board statement, calling the safety and well-being of staff and students its utmost priority. Michelle Price, a school board spokesperson, said via email that the board had not yet been served with the lawsuit, adding the school division refers all legal claims information to its insurer. The lawsuit names as defendants the Newport News School Board, former Superintendent George Parker III, former Richneck principal Briana Foster-Newton and former Richneck assistant principal Ebony Parker. The shooting sent shock waves through the military shipbuilding community and the country, with many wondering how a child so young could access a gun and shoot his teacher. The 25-year-old teacher spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and required four surgeries. 6 as she sat at a reading table in her classroom. – A Virginia teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by her 6-year-old student filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $40 million in damages from school officials, accusing them of gross negligence and of ignoring multiple warnings the day of the shooting that the boy was armed and in a “violent mood.”Ībby Zwerner, a first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, was shot in the hand and chest on Jan. Veterans sound alarm on McCarthy budget cuts The Memo: Republicans worry DeSantis has erred in Disney feud Kansas enacts sweeping transgender ‘bathroom bill’ Meet the cheapest US states to buy a house Īlito says he has ‘pretty good idea’ of the identity of Dobbs decision. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.ĮXCLUSIVE: Anheuser-Busch faces call to reaffirm support for trans community. Ellenson, the attorney for the boy’s family, has said previously that the firearm was secured on a high closet shelf with a lock.Īssociated Press reporter Ben Finley in Norfolk contributed to this story. The boy used his mother’s gun, which police said was purchased legally. Gwynn has yet to decide if any adults will be charged. Last month, Newport News prosecutor Howard Gwynn said his office will not criminally charge the boy because he is too young to understand the legal system. It seeks $40 million in compensatory damages. Zwerner suffered permanent bodily injuries, physical pain, mental anguish, lost earnings and other damages, the lawsuit states. A guidance counselor then asked Parker for permission to search the boy, but Parker forbade him, “and stated that John Doe’s mother would be arriving soon to pick him up.”Ībout an hour later, the boy pulled the gun from his pocket, aimed it at Zwerner and shot her, the lawsuit states. The music teacher said that when he informed Parker, she said the backpack had already been searched and “took no further action,” according to the lawsuit. A message left on a cellphone listing for Ebony Parker also was not returned.įoster-Newton’s attorney, Pamela Branch, has said she was unaware of reports that the boy had a gun at school on the day of the shooting. “The School Board and the school division’s leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools.” “Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery,” said a board statement, calling the safety and well-being of staff and students its utmost priority.
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