Ebony Parker, a former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, did not face criminal liability after a judge dismissed the case accusing her of failing to act on warnings before a teacher was shot. Circuit Judge Rebecca Robinson issued the ruling on the fourth day of Parker’s trial on May 21, AP reported, saying the court viewed the conduct as not criminal. Parker cried when the judge announced the decision and later hugged her attorneys.
Robinson’s decision dismissed all charges against Parker, who had been accused in connection with the January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary. Prosecutors alleged Parker ignored repeated warnings that a 6-year-old had a gun hours before teacher Abby Zwerner was shot in her classroom, AP reported. Parker had been charged with eight felony counts of child neglect, with each count carrying a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison if convicted.
AP reported that the defense asked the judge to dismiss the charges, arguing Parker’s actions did not amount to neglect. Defense attorney Curtis Rogers told the court that Parker’s decision on the day of the shooting “wasn’t an act of neglect.” Rogers added that Parker’s actions “in no way indicated that she believed there was a firearm in the possession” of the child.
Another defense attorney, Stephen Teague, spoke outside court after the ruling and said, “we believe that the right outcome was reached and we’re thrilled for Dr. Parker.” Teague described the dismissal as relief for Parker and said the outcome was part of “her journey.” Parker was not called to testify during the trial, according to AP.
During the trial, AP reported that a video interview Parker gave to a school district human resources officer was played for the jury. In that interview, Parker said she was told about reports that the student had a gun in his backpack, but she said she could not leave her office because of ongoing testing. AP reported that Parker also said a reading specialist who first reported concerns searched the backpack and found no gun.
Prosecutors said they had hoped for continued judicial proceedings. Hampton commonwealth’s attorney Anton A. Bell issued a statement after the dismissal saying, “We had hoped the community would have had the opportunity to weigh in through the full judicial process,” adding that the court had concluded the matter “as it deemed appropriate under the law.” Bell said his office “remains committed to pursuing justice with integrity, transparency, and fairness,” while continuing to “honor the role that citizens play in our criminal justice system.”
AP reported testimony from Zwerner earlier in the trial about the moments before the shooting. Zwerner testified that during recess on the school playground, the student wore an oversized jacket and kept both hands in his pockets. AP reported that Zwerner said she sent a text message about the observation to a reading specialist who had been tipped off earlier by students about the gun and who had reported it to Parker.
After recess, Zwerner testified that the student kept wearing the jacket in the classroom and that she was shot at a reading table. Zwerner spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and required six surgeries, AP reported, and the shooting left her with limited use of her left hand. AP reported that a bullet narrowly missed her heart and remains in her chest.
Criminal charges against school officials after a school shooting are “quite rare,” AP reported, and the case drew national attention to how a child so young could obtain a gun. The shooting also led to a civil case in which a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million last November, AP reported, with Parker—who no longer worked at the school—named as the only defendant.
In a separate outcome described by AP, the student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on felony child neglect and federal weapons charges.