The former assistant principal of Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, where a 6-year-old shot his teacher in January 2023, has been indicted for child abuse, according to court documents.
Ebony Parker is charged with eight counts of felony child abuse with disregard for life for the shooting, which left first grade teacher Abby Zwerner with life-threatening injuries.
Parker resigned from her position shortly after the shooting and has not made any public comments on it since.
Zwerner is suing Newport News Public Schools for $40 million, accusing administrators of negligence that allegedly allowed the shooting to take place.
Zwerner’s lawyers pointed to the charges against Parker as another sign of the school district’s failings.
“These charges are very serious and underscore the failure of the school district to act to prevent the tragic shooting of Abby Zwerner,” attorneys Diane Toscano, Kevin Biniazan and Jeffrey Breit said in a statement. “The school board continues to deny their responsibility to Abby, and this indictment is just another brick in the wall of mounting failures and gross negligence in their case.”
In this Jan. 30, 2023, file photo, students return to Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Va.
Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, FILE
Parker is accused of disregarding at least three teachers’ warnings that the 6-year-old might be carrying a gun, telling them he “has small pockets,” suggesting he wouldn’t be able to conceal a weapon, according to the lawsuit.
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Just an hour before the shooting, a school counselor asked Parker to check if the boy had a gun, but she declined to do so, the lawsuit alleges.
An attorney representing Parker did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Richmond, Virginia, ABC affiliate WVEC was unable to reach Parker for comment at an address listed as her home in court records.
The 6-year-old’s mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced in November to 21 months in federal prison on firearm and drug charges. She was also sentenced in December to two years in state prison for child neglect associated with the shooting.
Zwerner said she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression and still has nightmares about the incident.
“One of the big moments for me that stays in my head, more so than some other moments, is the look on the student’s face when he pulled out the firearm,” Zwerner said. “It’s a haunting look.”