A Virginia jury delivered justice with a $10 million verdict against a negligent school administrator who ignored multiple warnings before a 6-year-old shot teacher Abby Zwerner, exposing the dangerous consequences of administrative failures in protecting our children and educators.
Story Highlights
- Teacher Abby Zwerner was awarded $10 million after being shot by a first-grader whose violent behavior was repeatedly ignored.
- Assistant Principal Ebony Parker dismissed multiple urgent warnings, including reports of the child carrying a gun.
- School officials knew the boy had previously “strangled and choked” his kindergarten teacher, but took no protective action.
- The shooter’s mother faces prison time for weapons charges while Parker awaits criminal trial on child neglect charges.
Administrative Negligence Leads to Preventable Tragedy
Former assistant principal Ebony Parker’s gross negligence created the conditions for a shocking classroom shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia.
Despite receiving multiple warnings on January 6, 2023, that a violent first-grade student possessed a gun, Parker repeatedly dismissed concerns and blocked additional searches. Her inaction directly contributed to Zwerner being shot in the hand and chest, requiring six surgeries and permanently ending her teaching career.
BREAKING: A Virginia jury found that an assistant principal acted with gross negligence when a student shot his first grade teacher in a lawsuit filed over the 2023 shooting.
The jury awarded the teacher, Abby Zwerner, $10 million in damages.
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— ABC News (@ABC) November 6, 2025
Pattern of Ignored Warning Signs
The evidence revealed a disturbing pattern of administrative failure to protect students and staff. Zwerner reported the boy’s violent mood and threats that morning, but Parker offered “no response.”
When students reported seeing a gun in the child’s backpack and later in his pocket during recess, Parker claimed his “pockets were too small to hold a handgun” and forbade additional searches. Most alarmingly, Parker knew the boy had previously “strangled and choked” his kindergarten teacher, yet concerns were “always dismissed.”
Accountability Finally Delivered Through Civil Justice
The jury’s $10 million verdict, though less than the $40 million sought, represents crucial accountability for systemic failures that endangered innocent lives.
Zwerner’s permanent injuries include a bullet still lodged near her heart and loss of full use of her left hand. The shooting was described by police as “intentional,” with the boy telling staff he had “shot that b**** dead” after the attack.
Criminal Consequences for Those Responsible
Parker now faces eight felony child neglect charges in December, each carrying up to five years in prison, after a grand jury found she showed “reckless disregard for human life.”
The boy’s mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced to nearly four years for child neglect and federal weapons charges. Contradictory claims about weapon storage—whether locked on a high shelf or taken from her purse—highlight parental failures in securing firearms from dangerous children.
