Teacher shot by six-year-old boy files lawsuit against school for inaction

Abigail Zwerner, a first-grade teacher in Virginia who was shot by her student, a six-year-old boy, will file a lawsuit against school authorities for ignoring her warnings about the boy.

On January 6, at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News, the young student brought a firearm to class. At one point he drew his gun and shot Zwerner in the chest.

The 25-year-old teacher survived but is still in recovery and must undergo further surgeries.

According to Zwerner’s attorney, Diane Toscano, the teacher had warned school authorities three times about her student’s behavior.

“That day, over the course of several hours, three different times, school administrators were warned by concerned teachers and staff that the boy had a gun with him at school and was threatening people,” the lawyer said in a letter. Press conference.

“But the school administration didn’t care,” Toscano said. Not even when it was another student who tearfully revealed to another teacher that he had seen the weapon.

Even a school employee was denied permission to search the child. An administrator said the boy “had small pockets” and that the matter could be left until the end of the school day.

“Almost an hour later,” Zwerner was shot at Richneck Elementary School “in front of these horrified kids,” Toscano said.

“This tragedy was entirely preventable if school administrators responsible for school safety had done what they had to and taken action when aware of imminent danger,” he said.

The child, due to his age, is likely to be charged. However, his parents could face charges for allowing him access to a firearm.

In a statement, the parents explained that the child has “an acute disability” and that he was in a school accompaniment plan in which a relative accompanied him to school.

“The week of the shooting was the first week that we were not in class with him,” his relatives said. (YO)