Abigail Zwerner (Photo: Twitter)
The young teacher on whom a six-year-old student opened fire in January in the American state of Virginia is now suing the school for $40 million (about R716 million).
Abigail Zwerner argues that the school’s administrators were aware of the learner’s “history of random violence”.
Zwerner also claims in the summons that the school board failed to act proactively on the day in question after teachers realized that the learner had a firearm in his possession, report CNN.
According to the summons, Ebony Parker, assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School, ignored “at least three separate warnings” from teachers and staff after the boy’s classmates notified them that he was carrying a firearm.
Rhewal reported earlier that the boy presumably carried the firearm on him as Zwerner did not see it in his school bag. However, staff were not allowed to personally search the boy.
Parker then apparently told the concerned teachers that the boy’s pants had “small pockets” and the matter could wait until the end of the day. He also reportedly “forbade” the teachers to search the six-year-old and said his “mother will arrive soon to pick him up”.
The authorities after the shooting at the Richneck Elementary School in the USA. (Photo: Facebook / Dan Kennedy)
Zwerner was shot about an hour later in her classroom. The 25-year-old teacher survived the shooting, but has not yet fully recovered.
According to the summons, during the 2021-22 school year, the child tried to strangle a teacher at his preschool and pulled up a girl classmate’s dress and groped her inappropriately on the playground.
Teachers from the Richneck Elementary School also reportedly regularly brought the learner’s behavior to the attention of the school administration, but their “concerns were always disregarded”, the summons states.
Zwerner’s attorney also claims that when the child was taken to the school administration office to address his behavior, he would often “return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some kind of reward, such as a piece of candy.”
James Ellenson, lawyer for the boy’s family, said on Monday that the allegations in the lawsuit “must be taken with a heavy pinch of salt”.
“We will of course continue to support Ms. to pray for Zwerner’s complete recovery.”
The six-year-old child has not been criminally charged to date.
Parker has since resigned as assistant principal and the principal, Briana Foster Newton, has been transferred to another school.
The school board says it is working with the community to tackle safety and security at the school. However, the summons has not yet been served on the school board and the board therefore does not wish to comment on the lawsuit yet.
“At this stage, the Newport News School Board has not yet received the legal documents. When the summons is served on the school board, we will take legal advice and cooperate accordingly,” board officials said in the statement.
