Deja Taylor, the mother of a 6-year-old boy who allegedly shot his first-grade teacher, says she is willing to accept responsibility for the incident and believes her son’s actions can be attributed to his ADHD diagnosis.
As a parent, I am clearly ready to assume responsibility for him since he is incapable of doing so himself, as stated in a private interview with ABC News.
Prosecutors stated that Taylor is accused of committing a serious offense of child negligence and a minor offense of irresponsibly abandoning a firearm in a way that puts a child at risk. The trial before a judge is set to take place on August 15th.
Lawyers for the school board have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against officials from Richneck Elementary and District School News Newport. They claimed that they ignored multiple warnings about the student’s behavior and concerns about him potentially having a gun. Lawyers for the school board have also filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit claiming compensation for her injuries, which she was approved to receive under the state’s worker’s compensation law. Additionally, Abby Zwerner, the teacher whose son was shot, has filed a $40 million lawsuit and has recovered from the shooting.
Taylor describes her son as a great kid, but he’s very energetic due to his condition. She said he doesn’t sit still ever and is off the wall.
In interviews and her lawsuit, Zwerner characterized the boy as violent. She claimed that the child had a history of random violence, saying, “He slammed the cellphone on the ground so hard that it shattered and cracked.” She also alleged that he attacked both teachers and students, citing a history of random violence.
Zwerner instructed him to take a seat while he was inquiring, and the cellphone mishap occurred afterward. According to Taylor, throughout the week of the shooting, he experienced a sense of being disregarded, and the boy expressed that he genuinely had positive feelings towards Zwerner.
Taylor expressed, “If you throw a tantrum and exclaim, ‘Nobody is paying attention to me,’ people might perceive that, at the age of six, you – instead of getting upset – can calmly ignore the situation, politely ask them to take a seat, or explain that you are currently occupied with something else and request them to wait until you are available to listen. This is how most children typically behave.”
She states that she had to pay for the replacement, and she had only broken the screen protector, according to Taylor. The suspension resulted from the incident. She explained that when he accidentally knocked her phone out of her hand, he threw his arms up in frustration. “Fine,” he said. He threw his arms up in frustration.
Zwerner’s lawyer refused to make a statement on Tuesday.
According to the lawsuit, the shooting occurred on the day the student came back to school after being suspended.
Ellenson asserted, “Furthermore, they were cognizant of his ADHD diagnosis.” James Ellenson, Taylor’s lawyer, stated that school authorities, who hastily enrolled the pupil in first grade despite being aware that he had only completed two months of kindergarten and two months of pre-K, bear the ultimate accountability for the shooting.
Ellenson stated, “however, at the very least until kindergarten.” In order to progress to a more advanced stage, it would have been preferable if they had not permitted him” to be accurate, in that case, they should have trusted all of these actions, assuming they did.
ABC News did not receive a reply from a spokesperson for Briana Foster Newton, the principal of Richneck Elementary School during the incident, despite numerous appeals for a statement. A representative from Newport News Public Schools informed ABC News that they were unable to provide any comments regarding matters pertaining to “a student’s academic history.”
In autumn, because of the boy’s behavioral difficulties, the school notified Taylor that she and other relatives were no longer obligated to attend classroom sessions, a request that was made by the boy’s family.
She stated, “He had commenced medication and he was achieving his objectives, academically.” Before the occurrence, Taylor’s grandfather, Calvin Taylor, who has legal guardianship of the boy, concurred that “his conduct had improved in the classroom.”
“But to be fair to the other children in the class, there were instances when it became overwhelming for him,” expressed Calvin Taylor. “He displayed greater focus, made an effort to keep up, and attempted to complete the assignments.”
Taylor Calvin said, “You know? He expressed contentment… It was nearly akin to a typical day for him… Something seemed amiss, giving the impression that his actions on January 6, the day of the shooting, were insignificant.”
Ellenson stated that the gun was legally purchased. Deja Taylor mentioned that she saw it last when it was locked. However, since then, nobody knows how the boy obtained it, as Ellenson stated. At the time, Taylor’s mental state was fragile. Both Ellenson and she mentioned it. She stated that she had been hospitalized for a week and was suffering from postpartum depression following a series of miscarriages.
Deja Taylor, who expressed remorse, is now potentially facing a maximum of six years in jail. Taylor conveyed, “I genuinely wish to express my apologies for the harm caused to Zwerner. We were actually in the process of building a connection due to my presence in the classroom. Furthermore, she is an exceptionally intelligent individual,” Taylor stated.
The more appropriate sentence Taylor should face if she is liable for alleged negligence, said Ellenson, would be probation or community service.
Residing in Newport News, Taylor is concerned about the boy’s future. He mentioned that the boy attends a different school and receives therapy, while still being under the legal guardianship of Calvin Taylor.
He stated, “As a human, Taylor Deja deserves to be looked at but should not be absolved for her actions.” He mentioned, “I don’t just think constant negativity from my community is being allowed to boil over.”
He stated, “January 6th proved to be a dreadful day for numerous individuals.” “The teacher experienced a dreadful day. The children present in that classroom also had a dreadful day. Even my great-grandson had a dreadful day. Moreover, the community, as well as my other family members and friends, experienced a dreadful day.”