2 weeks ago
A erstwhile adjunct main astatine an simple schoolhouse successful Virginia is owed successful tribunal for proceedings connected criminal charges of ignoring warnings that a six-year-old student brought a loaded weapon to schoolhouse which was later utilized to shoot his first-grade teacher.
Ebony Parker’s criminal proceedings is group to commencement connected Monday successful Newport News.
Parker is charged pinch 8 counts of felony kid neglect, 1 for each of nan 8 bullets successful nan weapon that was brought into nan schoolroom of Abby Zwerner, a Richneck simple schoolhouse teacher, successful January 2023, prosecutors person said. Each count carries a maximum punishment of 5 years successful situation upon conviction.
The charges allege Parker “did perpetrate a willful enactment aliases omission successful nan attraction of specified students, successful a mode truthful gross, wanton and culpable arsenic to show a reckless disregard for quality life”, according to tribunal documents.
Criminal charges against schoolhouse officials pursuing a schoolhouse shooting are rather rare, experts say. The shooting sent daze waves done this subject shipbuilding organization and nan state astatine large, pinch galore wondering really a kid truthful young could summation entree to a weapon and sprout his teacher.
Last November, a assemblage awarded $10m to Zwerner, siding pinch her claims successful a suit that Parker, an ex-assistant principal, ignored repeated warnings that nan kid had a gun.
Zwerner was changeable arsenic she sat astatine a reference array successful her classroom. She spent astir 2 weeks successful nan hospital, required six surgeries and does not person nan afloat usage of her near hand. A slug narrowly missed her bosom and remains successful her chest.
Parker was nan only suspect successful nan lawsuit. A judge antecedently dismissed nan district’s superintendent and nan schoolhouse main arsenic defendants.
The suit said Parker had a work to protect Zwerner and others from harm aft being told astir nan gun. Zwerner’s attorneys said Parker grounded to enactment successful nan hours earlier nan shooting aft respective schoolhouse unit members told her that nan student had a weapon successful his backpack.
Zwerner testified she first heard astir nan weapon anterior to people recess from a reference master who had been tipped disconnected by students. The shooting occurred a fewer hours later. Despite her injuries, Zwerner was capable to hustle her students retired of nan classroom. She yet passed retired successful nan schoolhouse office.
Zwerner is scheduled to attest successful nan criminal case, according to tribunal records.
The student’s mother was sentenced to astir 4 years successful situation aft pleading guilty to felony kid neglect and national weapons charges. Her boy told authorities he climbed to nan apical of a dresser to retrieve nan weapon from his mother’s purse.
