A Virginia jury has found former elementary school administrator Ebony Parker liable for $10 million in the 2023 shooting of first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner by a 6-year-old student.
According to the New York Post, Zwerner sued Parker, the former vice principal of Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, for gross negligence, alleging Parker ignored multiple warnings that the child had a gun and was acting alarmingly the day of the shooting.
After more than five hours of deliberation Wednesday and Thursday, the seven-person jury sided with Zwerner, who had sought $40 million in damages.
Zwerner appeared emotional as the verdict was read, pursing her lips and widening her eyes as if to hold back tears.
“This verdict is a major step forward in Abby’s long road of healing,” her legal team said in a joint statement. “It confirms what we’ve said from the beginning — what happened inside Richneck Elementary was wrong and will never be tolerated.”
The lawyers added, “When the City of Newport News and its schools failed to protect their teachers, students, and citizens, we held them accountable through the courts. Now it’s time for the City to ensure Abby receives the justice this verdict represents.”
During the first three days of testimony last week, the jury heard from 16 witnesses describing the events of that day and the lasting impact on Zwerner, who still carries a bullet fragment in her body. Zwerner, 25 at the time and a teacher for just 2 1⁄2 years, recounted thinking she was “going to heaven” as the child drew a 9mm handgun and shot her in the hand and chest.
“A gun changes everything,” attorney Kevin Biniazan told jurors during closing arguments. “It changed one young woman’s life forever.” He argued Parker had multiple opportunities to investigate reports of the child bringing a gun to school but failed to act.
Parker’s lawyer, Sandra Douglas, countered that the incident was unforeseeable. “Somebody’s got to go down. We are going to blame Ebony Parker,” Douglas said, noting the student had been “dropped off by his mom with a loaded firearm in his backpack” and that other staffers also failed to prevent the shooting.
The defense called two witnesses on the final day: a medical expert challenging Zwerner’s PTSD diagnosis and a school safety expert asserting Parker’s response met standard procedures. Parker, facing criminal child neglect charges, did not testify.
The student was not charged, but his mother, Deja Taylor, received a two-year prison sentence for child neglect in 2023. Parker’s criminal trial is set for next month, and she has pleaded not guilty.
