By Dave Workman
A Virginia jury has awarded $10 million to a former first grade teacher who was shot in the hand and chest more than two years ago by a 6-year-old student who brought a handgun to school and was not disarmed despite knowledge of the gun by an assistant principal.
Abigail Zwerner’s lawsuit could send a signal to school administrators nationwide not to dismiss reports of armed students, as the lawsuit alleged.
According to NBC News, the lawsuit said the shooting came even after Zwerner and another instructor allegedly told Assistant Principal Ebony Parker.
“There were clear school guidelines that called for Parker to take action once the defendant was told about a possible threat, Zwerner’s attorney, Kevin Biniazan, told jurors on Wednesday,” the NBC report stated.
Fox News is describing the lawsuit as “landmark civil case against a school administrator.”
NBC News also noted in its report that Parker is now facing criminal charges “for her alleged indifference.”
The shooting occurred Jan. 6, 2023. The bullet which struck her in the chest and narrowly missed her heart is reportedly still lodged there.
The jury of three men and four women reportedly deliberated for a total of six hours over the course of two days before reaching their verdict.
School shootings invariably cause intense media scrutiny, especially considering tragedies including Columbine High School in Colorado, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, Robb Elementary School in Texas, Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut and Oxford High School in Michigan, among many others. The Virginia case was significant in that the shooter was a youngster in first grade.
NPR noted in its report that the youngster’s mother was earlier convicted of felony child neglect and federal weapons charges, and was sentenced to almost four years in prison. The child reportedly told investigators he got the gun from his mother’s purse, which was lying on top of a dresser.
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