Teacher Shot In Classroom To Sue Newport News School District

NEWPORT NEWS, VA — A Virginia teacher who police say was shot by her 6-year-old student at a Newport News elementary school plans to sue the district, The Associated Press reported.

Diane Toscano, a lawyer for Richneck Elementary School teacher Abigail Zwerner, said Wednesday that on the day of the shooting, concerned teachers and employees warned administrators three times that the boy had a gun on him and was threatening other students, but "the administration could not be bothered."

Newport News police have accused the 6-year-old boy of shooting Zwerner inside a first-grade classroom on Jan. 6. Police said the boy took his mother's 9mm handgun to school, pulled it from his backpack and used it to shoot Zwerner.

Police Chief Steve Drew has repeatedly characterized the shooting as "intentional," saying the boy aimed at Zwerner and fired one round, striking her in the hand and chest.

Zwerner was hospitalized for nearly two weeks but is now recovering at home, a hospital spokesperson said.

Before the shooting, Zwerner reportedly texted a loved one and told them the boy was armed and that school officials were failing to act, NBC News reported.

The text "showed her frustration," an anonymous source told NBC News. "She was frustrated because she was trying to get help with this child, for this child, and then when she needed help, no one was coming."

Newport News Superintendent of Schools George Parker told parents after the incident that a school official was notified about the weapon before the shooting. However, no gun was found when the child's backpack was searched.

Still, school administrators have been accused of downplaying the boy's behavior and repeatedly ignoring Zwerner's requests for help, according to a Washington Post report.

Messages from teachers obtained by the Post detail other disturbing incidents involving the first-grade student accused of shooting Zwerner. One message detailed an incident before the shooting where the 6-year-old boy wrote a note telling a teacher he hated her and wanted to light her on fire and watch her die.

The teacher told the Post the note was given to administrators, but they were told to drop the matter.

Other times, the boy reportedly threw furniture and other items in class, the Post reported. Another time, the boy barricaded the doors to a classroom to prevent a teacher and students from leaving.

According to the messages, Zwerner alerted school officials about the boy's behavior and repeatedly sought assistance during the school year.

In a statement released by their attorney, the boy's family also said their son suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.

According to the family, the week of the shooting was the first that a parent was not in class with him.

"We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives," the family said.

The family's attorney released a statement last week saying the gun used in the shooting was kept on the top shelf of a closet and had a trigger lock. He also said the family doesn't know how the boy removed the trigger lock that kept the gun from firing.

Since the shooting, teachers and parents have publicly lambasted school authorities, accusing them of not doing enough to protect children and staff.

During a three-hour school Newport News school board meeting dedicated solely to public comment, teachers and parents said students who assaulted classmates and staff were routinely allowed to stay in the classroom with few consequences.

They also said Zwerner's shooting could have been prevented if not for a toxic environment in which concerns are systemically ignored.

"Every day in every one of our schools, teachers, students and other staff members are being hurt," high school librarian Nicole Cooke told the board. "Every day, they're hit. They're bitten. They're beaten. And they're allowed to stay so that our numbers look good."

The Newport News school board is scheduled to vote this week on the departure of Superintendent Parker.

On Tuesday, the Newport News School Board posted an agenda for a special meeting on Wednesday, saying it will vote on a separation agreement and severance package for Parker. The board is also scheduled to vote on a new interim superintendent.

The board did not release any details of the separation agreement. Parker and School Board Chair Lisa Surles-Law did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

READ MORE:

• School Downplayed 6-Year-Old's Behavior Before VA Shooting: Report
  
• Gun Used To Shoot VA Teacher Locked, Stored On Top Shelf: Attorney
• Angry Parents, Teachers Say Schools Failed To Protect Staff, Kids
• Boy's Backpack Searched Before Newport News School Shooting: Report
• Newport News Shooting: Can 6-Year-Old's Mother Be Charged?
• 6-Year-Old Used Mom's Gun To Shoot Teacher: VA Police Chief
• Newport News School Shooting: 6-Year-Old Shoots Teacher In Classroom