Teacher Shot by Student Wins $10M Verdict; Focus on School Official Negligence and Gun Access
In Newport News, Virginia, a jury awarded $10 million to former teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6-year-old student, after finding former assistant principal Ebony Parker liable for ignoring warnings about the gun. Zwerner, who was shot in January 2023, had sought $40 million in damages, having spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and requiring six surgeries. The lawsuit argued that Parker failed to act on warnings from school staff who reported the student had a gun in his backpack. Parker faces a separate criminal trial this month on charges of felony child neglect, while the student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison.
John Q. Hosedrinker