Dr. Ebony Parker, the assistant principal at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, resigned, as confirmed by Michelle Price, the district spokesperson. Parker could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Diana Toscano, the lawyer representing Zwerner, has filed a lawsuit against the school district. Toscano stated on Wednesday that Abigail Zwerner, a first-grade teacher who is 25 years old, was shot by one of her students on January 6th. According to Toscano, three school staff members had previously alerted the administration about the 6-year-old boy possessing a firearm in the hours leading up to the incident.
Toscano reported that the school day was nearly finished, therefore the worried educator was instructed by a school official not to conduct a search on the young boy for the firearm, but rather “to patiently handle the situation.”
It is unconfirmed if Parker is the administrator who had given that advice or if she had been warned about the student.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the first administrator of the school known to resign, George Dr. Parker, was replaced by his deputy on 1st February. They held a special meeting in the evening on Wednesday at Newport School District, where they voted to appoint Superintendent of Fire, III Parker.
The police officer apprehended her and guided her as she traveled with the bullet in her chest on January 6th around 2 p.M. It was determined that Zwerner had intentionally shot the pupil.
Toscano said the 25-year-old teacher had warned the school at 11:15 a.M. The boy threatened to beat up one of his peers.
Toscano stated, “the district leaders ‘couldn’t care less’ to take action,” further mentioning that the school administration neglected to respond due to Abby Zwerner being shot in front of those terrified children, and the school and community are enduring the horrifying experience.
The Newport News Post asked the anonymous administrator to clarify the resignation of Elementary Richneck’s leadership, questioning why it “failed to ensure the safety of [Zwerner].”
The administrator emphasized that it is crucial to treat every threat seriously in order to prioritize the safety of all staff and students.
However, the failure of administrators from Richneck to resolve this issue does not force the resignation of one of them, as procedures are put in place to prevent this from happening again in the whole district.
Police stated that the young individual who fired at Zwerner utilized a firearm that his mother had lawfully acquired. It remains uncertain how he managed to obtain possession of the weapon. As of now, no charges have been filed in connection with the occurrence, and the boy’s family conveyed in a statement, through their attorney, that he possesses an “acute disability.”
The Richneck shooting marked the third occurrence of gun violence in the district within the last year and a half.
The unidentified official informed The Post that there have been modifications implemented in light of these incidents, ranging from supplementary educational sessions to acquiring enhanced safety resources at the school level, with no exceptions.