Ex-Virginia Assistant Principal Charged in Teacher Shooting by 6-Year-Old
TL/DR –
A former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary in Virginia, Ebony Parker, has been indicted and charged with eight felony counts of child abuse and disregard for life. This follows an incident where a 6-year-old student brought a gun to school and shot his teacher. The teacher, Abigail Zwerner, who survived the shooting, has since filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school board and administrators, alleging that staff alerted administrators three times on the day of the shooting that the student had a gun and was threatening people.
Former Virginia School Administrator Indicted over Student Shooting
A former Virginia elementary school assistant principal, Ebony Parker, has been indicted with eight felony counts following an incident where a 6-year-old student brought a gun to school, resulting in the shooting of a teacher last year.
Parker, previously of Richneck Elementary in Newport News, was charged with child abuse and disregard for life by a Special Grand Jury on March 11, as per the recently released court records.
According to court documents obtained by CNN, Parker demonstrated “a reckless disregard for human life” in her care of the students at Richneck Elementary. Each felony count she faces in Virginia carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
Parker and her attorney Curtis Rogers have yet to provide a response to CNN’s request for comment.
Following the shooting of teacher Abigail Zwerner by one of her first-grade students, Parker resigned. Zwerner survived the incident.
Zwerner’s lawyers issued a statement highlighting the school district’s failure to prevent the shooting and the ongoing denial of their responsibility. In a $40 million lawsuit against the school board and administrators, Diane Toscano, Zwerner’s attorney, claims proper intervention could have averted the shooting.
Concerned teachers and employees alerted administrators three times about the student possessing a gun and making threats on the shooting day, alleges Toscano.
Newport News Commonwealth Attorney Howard Gwynn’s office has been contacted by CNN for comment.
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