A former elementary school administrator in Virginia is currently on trial facing child neglect charges, which could lead to a lengthy prison sentence if she’s found guilty. This comes after she was previously ordered to pay $10 million following the tragic shooting of a teacher by a 6-year-old student.
The jury selection for Ebony Parker’s case began on Monday. Parker, the former assistant principal at Rich Neck Elementary School in Newport News, was involved in the incident where first-grade teacher Abby Zwirner was shot by a student on January 6, 2023.
Zwirner is expected to testify, possibly as soon as Tuesday, and her attorney has confirmed her intent to do so. In earlier testimony during a civil lawsuit, the 28-year-old teacher described her harrowing experience, saying she thought she was “dying” and “going to heaven” after being shot in the chest. Remarkably, she still has bullet fragments lodged in her body.
In her lawsuit against Parker, Zwirner sought $40 million, alleging neglect because Parker failed to act despite clear warning signs that a student had brought a firearm to school and was displaying concerning behavior. A jury ruled in her favor, awarding her $10 million in damages from Parker in November.
Parker faces a total of eight counts of child neglect, corresponding to the number of bullets found in the gun the student brought that day. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison.
In related news, the student’s mother, Deja Taylor, received a two-year prison sentence in 2023 for child neglect and was also sentenced to 21 months in a separate federal weapons case. Reports indicate that the child had taken a 9mm handgun from her purse, and he has not faced any criminal or civil repercussions.
Parker has entered a not guilty plea.
During the civil trial, Zwirner’s legal team argued that actions to provide compensation to her were halted after an employee relayed concerns about the possibility of a gun. They claimed Parker had multiple chances to search the student but chose not to intervene. Conversely, Parker’s civil attorney maintained that the situation was unpredictable, pointing out that errors were made at various levels of management, suggesting that Parker was unfairly singled out.
