Virginia teacher Abigail Zwerner has officially filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school district for the shooting on Jan. 6.
The Virginia teacher who was shot by a six-year-old student has filed a $40 million lawsuit. The lawsuit is claiming that school administrators ignored multiple warnings from staff and students who believed the boy had a gun and was a danger on the day of the shooting. The teacher alleges that the school was aware of the child's history of random violence.
The shooting occurred on January 6 at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, and the police confirmed that the child intended to shoot the teacher with a 9 mm handgun while she was seated at a reading table in their first-grade classroom.
The incident shocked the country.
Abigail Zwerner Is Filing $40 Million Lawsuit
In the lawsuit filed by Abigail Zwerner, the injured educator, she alleges that the defendants, including school administrators, were aware of the child's history of violence and that he had a propensity for attacking both students and teachers.
According to NBC, the complaint suggests that the defendants knew that the child had access to a firearm and posed an imminent threat to the safety of students and staff.
Additionally, Zwerner's complaint states that the defendants knew that John Doe had previously attacked both students and teachers and that his motivation to injure was not limited to teachers while at the school.
Despite this knowledge, the defendants failed to take appropriate measures to protect students and staff from harm.
The lawsuit also accuses Assistant Principal Ebony Parker of breaching her assumed duty to protect Zwerner despite receiving multiple reports that a firearm was on school property and likely in the possession of a violent individual.
The incident occurred on January 6 at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, and Zwerner sustained serious injuries to her hand and upper chest.
The BBC reported that the Virginia teacher underwent four surgeries to treat her injuries and spent two weeks in the hospital.
The incident shocked the community, and the school board later voted to install metal detectors in all schools in the district to enhance security measures.
Despite the severity of the incident, no one has been charged in connection with the shooting.
Zwerner is seeking compensatory damages for her injuries, physical pain, mental anguish, lost earnings, and other damages resulting from the incident.
Read Also: Pediatric Mental Health Hospitalizations for Suicidal, Self-Harming Behavior Spike Dramatically
Legal arrest for the school shooting
NPR reported that the defendants named in the lawsuit, including the Newport News School Board, former schools superintendent George Parker III, and Richneck principal Briana Foster Newton, have not yet issued a response to the complaint or the allegations made against them.
Michelle Price, a spokesperson for the school board, Lisa Surles-Law, chair of the school board, and other board members were also contacted for comment but have not responded to the emails.
Following the tragic incident, Richneck Assistant Principal Ebony Parker resigned from her position, while the former schools superintendent George Parker III was voted to be removed by the board without cause.
The school principal, Briana Foster Newton, was also transferred to another role within the district.
No charges have been filed against anyone, including the 6-year-old boy, for the shooting incident.
The school board took swift action in response to the incident, aside from the metal detectors, the board also approved the purchase of clear backpacks for all students.
