The former assistant principal of an elementary school in Virginia is set to stand trial on criminal charges for allegedly ignoring warnings that a six-year-old student brought a loaded gun to school, which was subsequently used to shoot his first-grade teacher. Ebony Parker's trial is scheduled to commence on Monday in Newport News.
Charges and Allegations
Parker faces eight counts of felony child neglect, one for each bullet in the firearm brought into Abby Zwerner's classroom at Richneck Elementary School in January 2023. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction. Court documents allege that Parker committed a willful act or omission in the care of students, demonstrating a reckless disregard for human life.
Rarity of Criminal Charges
Legal experts note that criminal charges against school officials following a school shooting are quite uncommon. The incident sent shockwaves through the military shipbuilding community and the nation, prompting widespread concern about how a child so young could access a gun and shoot his teacher.
In November, a jury awarded $10 million to Zwerner, siding with her claims that Parker ignored repeated warnings about the child having a gun. Zwerner was shot while seated at a reading table, spending nearly two weeks in the hospital and undergoing six surgeries. She has not regained full use of her left hand, and a bullet remains lodged in her chest, narrowly missing her heart.
Lawsuit Details
Parker was the sole defendant in the civil lawsuit, as a judge had previously dismissed the district superintendent and school principal as defendants. The lawsuit asserted that Parker had a duty to protect Zwerner and others after being informed about the gun. Zwerner's attorneys argued that Parker failed to act in the hours before the shooting, despite multiple staff members alerting her that the student had a firearm in his backpack.
Zwerner testified that she first learned of the gun before recess from a reading specialist who had been tipped off by students. The shooting occurred a few hours later. Despite her injuries, Zwerner managed to escort her students out of the classroom before collapsing in the school office. She is scheduled to testify in the criminal case.
The student's mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty to felony child neglect and federal weapons charges. Her son told authorities he retrieved the gun from his mother's purse by climbing on top of a dresser.
