NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — A jury in Virginia awarded $10 million to former teacher Abby Zwerner after she was shot by a 6-year-old student. The lawsuit targeted Ebony Parker, a ex-assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School, for ignoring repeated notifications about the child having a firearm.
On January 2023, Zwerner was shot while sitting at a reading table in her classroom. Although she sought $40 million in the lawsuit, the jury's decision came down to $10 million against her former administrator. Zwerner spent almost two weeks in hospital care and underwent six surgeries, resulting in permanent injuries, including limited use of her left hand and a bullet lodged near her heart.
Parker has been criticized for her inaction the day of the shooting after being informed by multiple staff members about the gun in the student's backpack. The community and nation were shaken by the incident, questioning how such a young child was able to access a firearm.
Zwerner's attorney, Diane Toscano, pointed out that it is Parker’s responsibility to consider all possibilities, even those that may seem unlikely, like a 6-year-old bringing a gun to school. Parker's lawyer, Daniel Hogan, contended that judging her decisions with hindsight is unfair, urging jurors to consider the situation as it was presented to Parker on the day of the shooting.
Despite being the only defendant in the lawsuit, Parker did not testify. Zwerner shared her ordeal, recalling the moment she believed she had died after being shot—a feeling contrasted by her subsequent survival and determination to protect her students during the traumatic event.
The case shines a light on broader issues of school safety and firearm access, especially after it was revealed that the student had retrieved the gun from his mother’s purse, leading to her sentencing for child neglect and federal weapons charges. Parker now faces a separate trial on felony child neglect charges related to the incident.
Zwerner has since resigned from her teaching position, opting to pursue a career as a licensed cosmetologist, distancing herself from the classroom environment where she had once dedicated her life to educating young children.
