- A Virginia first-grade teacher whom a 6-year-old child shot has filed a lawsuit
- The teacher claims the school ignored several indications that the student had a gun
- The student who shot his teacher was in a "violent mood" on the day of the incident
A Virginia first-grade teacher who was shot and seriously injured by her 6-year-old student filed a lawsuit against school officials on Monday, seeking $40 million in damages and accusing them of gross negligence for ignoring multiple warnings on the day of the shooting that the boy had a gun and was in a "violent mood."
Abby Zwerner, a 25-year-old teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, was shot in hand and chest in her classroom on January 6. Since the incident, she spent approximately two weeks in the hospital and has undergone four surgeries.
First-Grade Virginia Teacher Shot by 6-Year-Old Student
The shooting shook the military shipbuilding community and sent shock waves across the nation, with many questioning how a young child could obtain a gun and shoot his teacher.
Newport News School Board, former Superintendent George Parker III, former Richneck Principal Briana Foster Newton, and former Richneck Assistant Principal Ebony Parker are defendants in the case.
Michelle Price, the school board's spokesperson, Lisa Surles-Law, the school board's chair, and other board members should have responded more promptly to emails requesting comment on the case. Newton's attorney, Pamela Branch, has stated that she was uninformed on the day of the shooting that the kid had a gun at school. No one, including the child, has been charged with the incident.
After the incident, the school board fired the superintendent after the incident, while the assistant principal resigned. A spokesman for the school district stated that Newton is still employed by the school district but declined to specify her position, as per CBS News.
In addition, the board voted to install metal detectors in all district schools and to purchase transparent backpacks for all students. In the case, Zwerner's attorneys claim that all of the defendants knew that the youngster "had a history of random violence" at school and home, including an incident in which he "strangulated and choked" his kindergarten teacher the year before.
Two days before the incident, the same boy had destroyed her phone and referred to her as a "b***h." According to Zwerner's lawsuit, they searched his rucksack for a firearm, but he had already removed it and concealed it in his hoodie.
At 1:59 p.m., he removed the revolver from his sweatshirt and fired it into Zwerner's chest. She claims that the bullet striking one of her hands saved her life. She is now suing the school for failing to safeguard her and others from the child.
The 20-page lawsuit outlines in distressing detail the boy's past actions. The lawsuit claims that after his return to school, he continued to pose a threat and was observed chasing youngsters around the playground with a belt in an attempt to whip them. Also, he cursed employees and teachers.
Two days before the incident, he took Zwerner's phone and refused to return it. Then, he smashed the phone with such force that it cracked and shattered. She phoned security and brought him to the principal, but security never arrived. Per Daily Mail, the child then referred to both female teachers as "whores."
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Virginia Student Has 'Violent Mood'
On the day of the shooting, he returned to school after serving a one-day suspension. She complained to Assistant Principal Dr. Ebony Parker between 11:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. that he appeared to be in a "violent attitude" that day and had threatened to beat up another student.
Nonetheless, the assistant principal did nothing, according to the lawsuit. The same assistant principal was known for never penalizing students and rewarding those who approached them with candy.
Teachers requested permission to search the youngster at 1:10 p.m., still concerned that he had the gun on his person, but the assistant principal forbade them. Less than an hour later, he removed it from his sweatshirt and shot Zwerner while she was reading at her desk in front of horrified classmates.
According to prosecutors, the youngster, who has not been publicly identified, will not face criminal charges. They have not stated if adults will incur fees, as per The Guardian. A lawyer for the boy's parents stated that they were "dedicated to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of minors" and had attempted to do so with the gun in question, which belonged to the boy's mother.
The family has also indicated that the youngster has a severe impairment and has had mental health therapy. In the case, Zwerner's attorneys allege that the defendants were aware of the boy's "history of random violence" at school and home.
The lawsuit states that "all defendants were aware that [the kid] attacked both pupils and instructors and that his intent to damage was not restricted to teachers at school."
Zwerner recently said her recuperation has been hard, but she said, "I try to keep a positive attitude on what has occurred and my future. I will never forget the look on his face as he leveled the gun directly at me."
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