In a powerful statement, a jury has awarded Abby Zwerner, the elementary school teacher who was shot by a six-year-old student in her classroom in January 2023, $10 million in her civil lawsuit. The suit was against Ebony Parker, the school’s former assistant principal.
The jury determined that Parker was grossly negligent in failing to act on the warnings before the tragic shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. We remember when Zwerner was gravely injured when the child fired, the bullet striking her hand and chest during a reading session. She was hospitalized for two weeks and underwent six surgeries. CBS News reports the bullet nearly missed her heart and remains lodged in her chest to this day.
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Abby Zwerner’s Injuries and Legal Battle
Following the shooting, Zwerner resigned from Richneck Elementary and continues to suffer from permanent nerve damage and loss of feeling in her left hand.
Zwerner initially sought $40 million in compensatory damages, arguing that school administrators ignored repeated warnings about the child’s troubling behavior before the incident. The verdict holds Parker accountable for failing to intervene or take necessary precautions, even after being notified multiple times on the day of the shooting that the child may have had a gun.
According to court documents, Zwerner told Parker earlier that the boy had threatened another student and appeared to be “in a violent mood.” Parker reportedly didn’t respond. Two students also told another teacher they saw the boy with a gun in his bookbag. Zwerner said she saw him pull an object out and put it in his sweatshirt.
The teacher relayed this information to Parker, who allegedly dismissed the concern, saying the boy’s “pockets were too small to fit a handgun.” A guidance counselor later told investigators that he wanted to search the boy’s bag, but Parker ordered him not to, claiming that the boy’s mother would be picking him up soon.
The shooting took place about an hour later.
Lawsuit Details Negligence and Prior Violent Behavior
Zwerner’s legal team argued that Parker’s inaction directly contributed to the shooting, emphasizing a pattern of violent behavior by the child that the school allegedly failed to address. The lawsuit alleged that Parker knew the child had a history of violence both at home and at school.
Disturbingly, court documents revealed that the boy had strangled and choked his kindergarten teacher the previous school year. The school allowed him to return to class without additional supervision or disciplinary action, according to the lawsuit.
The jury’s verdict underscores the severity of Parker’s negligence, holding her liable for failing to ensure the safety of staff and students.
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