Virginia teacher shot by student files $40M lawsuit: Media Miss

SHANNON LONGWORTH: THAT FIRST GRADE TEACHER WHO WAS SHOT BY HER 6-YEAR-OLD STUDENT IN JANUARY IS NOW FILING A LAWSUIT AGAINST SCHOOL OFFICIALS. SHE’S SEEKING $40 MILLION IN DAMAGES, ALLEGING THEY KNEW THE BOY HAD A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, AND STILL IGNORED WARNINGS THAT HE HAD A GUN.

THE 25-YEAR-OLD TEACHER, ABBY ZWERNER, WAS SHOT IN THE HAND AND CHEST, AND SPENT NEARLY TWO WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT RICHNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

IN ZWERNER’S LAWSUIT, THE DEFENDANTS INCLUDE THE NEWPORT NEWS SCHOOL BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT GEORGE PARKER III, PRINCIPAL BRIANA FOSTER NEWTON, AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL EBONY PARKER.

ACCORDING TO THE COMPLAINT, PARKER IGNORED “AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE WARNINGS FROM TEACHERS AND STAFF THAT STUDENTS HAD SEEN THE FIREARM,” AND THAT THE STUDENT HAD “REMOVED AN OBJECT THAT WAS LIKELY A FIREARM FROM HIS BACKPACK BEFORE IT WAS SEARCHED.”

IT ALSO SAYS OTHER STAFF MEMBERS ALLEGED THAT PARKER “FORBADE” TEACHERS FROM SEARCHING THE STUDENT, SAYING HIS “MOTHER WOULD BE ARRIVING SOON TO PICK HIM UP.”

ADDITIONALLY, THE LAWSUIT SAYS THE STUDENT HAD NEEDED A PARENT TO ACCOMPANY HIM DURING THE SCHOOL DAY IN PRIOR MONTHS BECAUSE HE HAD “VIOLENT TENDENCIES.” THE YEAR BEFORE, HE’D REPORTEDLY CHOKED A TEACHER. BUT THE DAY OF THE SHOOTING, HE WAS NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE ANYONE WITH HIM.

AFTER THE SHOOTING, THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL RESIGNED, THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS FIRED, AND THE PRINCIPAL WAS REASSIGNED. THE DEFENDANTS HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO REQUESTS FOR COMMENT.

THE STUDENT HAD USED HIS MOTHER’S GUN, WHICH SHE’D PURCHASED LEGALLY.

AND WHILE A LOCAL PROSECUTOR HAS SAID HIS OFFICE WILL NOT CHARGE THE STUDENT, HE HAS NOT YET DECIDED IF HE’LL CHARGE ANY ADULTS.

THIS STORY IS CONSIDERED A MEDIA MISS BECAUSE IT’S BEEN UNDERREPORTED BY RIGHT-LEANING OUTLETS. AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, WE WORK TO BRING YOU A VARIETY OF STORIES, INCLUDING THOSE MISSED BY THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT.