'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABfAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQcQAAICAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIEAQMABRESMRMUIQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABhEAAgIDAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAARITET/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCvTo6y/pp0iFFySxqg1SA1mQmZTyLbuYmN80hfQK9QXqbJtkSYrG2Y8hfJOOW3eMYb+kkdydFYhQF0N873Foq17FeFpI1YkHZ880M//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Virginia teacher Abby Zwerner was shot by a first-grade boy on January 6, 2023. Zwerner reportedly knew that the six-year-old was carrying a gun, however, the school authorities did not take the necessary action. Diana Toscano, Zwerner’s attorney mentioned that they will sue the school district for their negligence with regard to the incident.
On Monday, Zwerner filed a lawsuit seeking $40 million in damages from the school district. The lawsuit accused the authorities of gross negligence for allegedly ignoring repeated warnings on the day of the tragic incident when Abby Zwerner was shot in the chest by the child, as per BBC. According to the lawsuit, the child “had a history of random violence.”
The shooting shocked the entire community, and people across the country began wondering how a young child could get access to a firearm. It has been reported that the child was not charged, however, the school superintendent was fired after the incident.
Abby Zwerner filed a lawsuit against the school authorities claiming $40 million in damages
For the unversed, on January 6, a six-year-old first grader shot Abby Zwerner in the hand and upper chest at Richneck Elementary School. Zwerner reportedly reached out to the authorities and told them that the child had a handgun on him. The boy was allegedly in a “violent mood” that day, however, the school district did not take immediate action.
Abby Zwerner’s attorney Diana Toscano believes that the shooting could have been prevented if the school authorities were a bit more cautious. Shortly after Zwerner was discharged from the hospital, they mentioned that they would file a lawsuit against the authorities. On Monday, a $40 million lawsuit accusing the school district of gross negligence was filed.
After being shot, Zwerner reportedly took the other children to a safe place before calling for help. The 25-year-old Virginia teacher had to undergo surgery around four times and also spent nearly two weeks in the hospital. Police Chief Steve Drew addressed the incident and said:
“She is a trooper, she is a hero.”
It wasn’t immediately confirmed how the kid gained access to the firearm, however, investigating officers claimed that he took his mother’s handgun and carried it to his school. After the incident, the school superintendent, George Parker III, was fired, and Assistant Principal Ebony Parker resigned immediately.
According to Abby Zwerner’s complaint, Parker chose to "breach her assumed duty" to protect her, despite multiple reports that a firearm was on school property and likely in possession of a violent individual.
As per the publication, the lawsuit claimed that 25-year-old Abby Zwerner has also sought a jury trial, and added that she is currently going through immense “physical pain and mental anguish.” Lawyer Jeffrey Breit, however, did not agree with the $40 million negligence lawsuit. Breit claimed that as per Virginia law, employers can’t be sued by their workers.
However, he stated:
“But, [the shooting is] an exception [because] no 6-year-old student is going to be a risk of shooting their teacher. It’s not part of their job. It’s not a night 7-Eleven worker.”
Two days before shooting Abby, the unidentified boy was reportedly suspended after he slammed her phone to the ground
The lawsuit claimed that the school district was well aware of the child’s behavioral issues. In 2021-22, the boy, whose name hasn’t been revealed, allegedly strangled and choked a teacher in kindergarten. He was then removed from Richneck Elementary School. He has also been reported to have touched a female student inappropriately.
According to the complaint:
“[He] began to touch the child inappropriately until reprimanded by a teacher.”
When such issues kept repeating themselves, he was transferred out of Richneck and enrolled at a different school within the same school district. However, he was allowed to be re-admitted in the 2022-23 school year. This was when he was enrolled in 25-year-old Abby Zwerner’s class. The complaint further mentioned that he had a modified schedule because of his problematic behavior at school.
It read:
“[He was found] chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it, as well as cursing at staff and teachers.”
It was also decided that he would always have one parent attend school with him every day because of his violent actions. The lawsuit further added:
“Teachers’ concerns with John Doe's behavior were regularly brought to the attention of the Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed. Often when he was taken to the school office to address his behavior, he would return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy.”
Two days before the incident, the boy reportedly took Abby Zwerner’s cell phone and slammed it to the ground, breaking the device. He was further suspended for a day for his actions. On January 6, when he returned to school, he wasn’t accompanied by a parent.
After the incident, the school board decided upon having metal detectors in schools and encouraging students to carry clear see-through bags. A full-time security guard has also been appointed at the school.
