Virginia teacher shot by student plans to sue the school district | USA TODAY

A Virginia superintendent is fired after a teacher was shot by a student. A spokesperson for the school district said they couldn't comment due to a pending investigation.

RELATED: Loudoun County, Va. voters weigh in on education issues

The 6-year-old boy who shot and wounded his teacher in Virginia this month had repeatedly threatened other students earlier that day but school administrators "paralyzed by apathy" refused to intervene, the teacher's lawyer said Wednesday.

The bullet remains lodged in teacher Abigail Zwerner's chest, her attorney said, and she faces a lifetime of physical and psychological recovery. Zwerner, 25, on Wednesday filed notice of intent to sue the Newport News School District for failing to respond to repeated threats reported on Jan. 6, according to her lawyer.

"Abby Zwerner was shot in front of those horrified kids and the school and community are living the nightmare, all because the school administration failed to act," attorney Diane Toscano said. "This should have never happened. It was preventable. And thank God Abby is alive."

Amid criticism and uproar over by parents and teachers, the school board voted to relieve district superintendent George Parker III of his duties effective Feb. 1 as part of a separation agreement and severance package.

Michelle Price, a spokesperson for Newport News Public Schools, told USA TODAY in an emailed statement that the district continued to investigate the shooting and could not comment on the statements made by Zwerner's lawyer because of that investigation.

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38 comments

  1. need to talk about the irresponsibiltyof the parents who let their child go to school with a gun and threaten other children and eventually killing someone.

  2. Imagine if that kid took out the gun and started pointing it at the teacher during class all pissed off because he doesn’t get what he wants. and she ducks behind her own desk, brings out her own pistol and unloaded on that kid. What would’ve happened.

  3. Love the thumbnail. Instead of a picture of the white woman who was shot by the black student, you show the school building. Solid narrative.

  4. Foolish to sue anyone but the shooter. I can’t understand suing the parents, but the school is absurd. She just wants free money

    1. The school had three separate warnings that day that the child had a gun and was a threat. They did nothing to prevent it. That’s why they need to be sued. If the warnings were not called in, then I would’ve agreed with you. They were negligent and failed to follow through on credible information.

    1. She was shot by a 6 year old student. He had brought live ammunition a week or two prior and reported it. The school took no action. She has every right to sue and I know she will win

  5. Why sue the school and not the parents? Asnwer parent won’t pay her anything. School system will give her many thousands

    1. Because the school knew the kid was trouble for a long time and on the day of the shooting multiple people reported the kid for saying he had a gun. They didn’t take the reports seriously and didn’t bother searching his bag or separating him from the other students.

    2. Yeah it will parents aka voters will get pissed off by higher taxes or worse services because of poor gun laws. The writing is on the wall for gun ownership. It’s a couple of generations away from repealing the second amendment.

  6. lol seeing how this is american issue, bet they just gonna load every teacher and staff with guns even at elementary school level

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