NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (RTW News) — A jury in Virginia on Thursday awarded $10 million to former teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6-year-old student and later sued school officials for negligence.
The jury's verdict came against Ebony Parker, a former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. Zwerner had sought $40 million in damages.
In January 2023, Zwerner was shot in the chest while teaching a first-grade class. Following the incident, she spent nearly two weeks hospitalized, underwent six surgeries, and now has limited use of her left hand due to her injuries. A bullet dangerously close to her heart remains lodged in her chest.
The shooting shocked the local military community and sparked nationwide concerns over how such a young child could access a gun at school.
Zwerner's legal team argued that Parker had a duty to ensure the safety of the classroom after being informed about the child's gun. Witnesses testified that multiple staff members alerted Parker about the gun in the child's backpack shortly before the incident, yet no action was taken.
“Who would think a 6-year-old would bring a gun to school and shoot their teacher?” Zwerner’s attorney, Diane Toscano, asked in court. “It’s Dr. Parker’s job to believe that that is possible. It’s her job to investigate it and get to the very bottom of it.”
Parker did not testify during the trial. Her defense claimed that jurors should avoid judging her actions using hindsight.
“The law knows that it is fundamentally unfair to judge another person’s decisions based on stuff that came up after the fact,” Parker’s attorney, Daniel Hogan, explained.
The tragic shooting occurred just after the child returned from a suspension for a prior incident involving Zwerner. Zwerner recounted how she was warned about the gun moments before the shooting occurred.
In the aftermath, Zwerner chose to leave teaching and pursue a career as a licensed cosmetologist.
Parker is also facing a separate criminal trial on eight counts of felony child neglect, each carrying a potential five-year prison sentence.
The case underscores a troubling pattern of gun access among young children and raises questions about school safety protocols.
