Former Virginia Teacher Wins $10 Million After Classroom Shooting

BREAKING: A jury awarded $10 million to Abigail Zwerner, a former teacher in Newport News, Virginia, who was shot by a 6-year-old student during class on January 6, 2023. This significant verdict was reached during a civil trial on Thursday, following Zwerner’s lawsuit against the Newport News School Division and former assistant principal Ebony Parker.

Zwerner was shot in her classroom at Richneck Elementary School, with the bullet passing through her hand and narrowly missing her heart. The jury’s decision comes despite Zwerner initially seeking $40 million in damages.

During closing arguments, attorney Kevin Biniazan emphasized Parker’s alleged negligence in addressing multiple warnings about the student’s dangerous behavior, stating, “A gun changes everything. You stop and you investigate.” Zwerner’s legal team insisted that Parker was warned by several staff members about the child’s concerning actions that day.

In response, Parker’s attorney, Sandra Douglas, defended her client’s actions, arguing that she made decisions based on the information available at the time of the incident. “Your job is to consider only what Dr. Parker knew at the time,” Douglas stated, while also questioning Zwerner’s mental state post-shooting.

After the verdict was announced, Zwerner’s attorneys addressed the gathered crowd outside the Newport News courthouse. Attorney Jeffrey Breit expressed the overwhelming concern from teachers regarding their safety in schools, declaring, “This needs to be the most important thing schools do—taking care of the teachers and safety of our students.”

In addition to the civil case, Parker faces a separate criminal trial for eight counts of felony child neglect related to the shooting incident. This trial is set to begin on November 17.

The outcome of this trial has sparked a national conversation about the safety of teachers and students in educational environments, highlighting the urgent need for effective measures to prevent such tragic incidents in the future. As the legal proceedings continue, the focus remains on ensuring that schools prioritize safety above all else.