VA - Boy, 6, in custody after shooting teacher, Newport News, Jan 2023 *mom charged* #3

[cujenn81]

I think I have a better understanding after reading through the search warrant documents again. LE was seeking a search warrant for the child’s school records from NNSD. In the SW affidavit, LE says they obtained limited records pertaining to the child from CPS, but those records didn’t include a report about the choking incident. I suspect the incident should have been reported to CPS by NNSD but it wasn’t (surprise, surprise), and that’s what the detective meant when he said the district hasn’t been forthright about certain incidents. IOW, the district didn’t contact CPS when they should have and that’s why LE needed access to the child’s school records. The search warrant was ultimately granted and executed, so I can only assume LE has access to them now. The way the affidavit was worded certainly wasn’t the clearest.

 

[cujenn81]

There are so many rules against expelling now. In some states, you cannot expel at all. The student must be in some sort of school setting. And certainly can't use that remedy for language.

I agree with you about the language.

Here’s what VA law says about school expulsions:

§ 22.1-277. Suspensions and expulsions of pupils generally.

A. Students may be suspended or expelled from attendance at school for sufficient cause; however, in no cases may sufficient cause for suspensions include only instances of truancy.

B. Except as provided in subsection C or § 22.1-277.07 or 22.1-277.08, no student in preschool through grade three shall be suspended for more than three school days or expelled from attendance at school, unless (i) the offense involves physical harm or credible threat of physical harm to others or (ii) the local school board or the division superintendent or his designee finds that aggravating circumstances exist, as defined by the Department.

Virginia School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Grounds for Suspension or Expulsion | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)

safesupportivelearning.ed.gov

 

[fred&edna]

I think I have a better understanding after reading through the search warrant documents again. LE was seeking a search warrant for the child’s school records from NNSD. In the SW affidavit, LE says they obtained limited records pertaining to the child from CPS, but those records didn’t include a report about the choking incident. I suspect the incident should have been reported to CPS by NNSD but it wasn’t (surprise, surprise), and that’s what the detective meant when he said the district hasn’t been forthright about certain incidents. IOW, the district didn’t contact CPS when they should have and that’s why LE needed access to the child’s school records. The search warrant was ultimately granted and executed, so I can only assume LE has access to them now. The way the affidavit was worded certainly wasn’t the clearest.

Do you know if it is SOP for public schools to report such incidents (such as the choking of the teacher in 2021) to CPS?

Are behaviors such as this suppose to be reported to a law enforcement agency as well as CPS??

I'm still having trouble finding public school reporting/documentation procedures online. Aren't there federal guidelines or could they vary by state??

 

[fred&edna]

Well, I did find this... so I guess I should begin reading (which I'm not sure any Richneck school officials actually managed to do).

https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/sites/default/files/discipline-compendium/Virginia%20School%20Discipline%20Laws%20and%20Regulations.pdf

Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services

www.dcjs.virginia.gov

 

[cujenn81]

Do you know if it is SOP for public schools to report such incidents (such as the choking of the teacher in 2021) to CPS?

Are behaviors such as this suppose to be reported to a law enforcement agency as well as CPS??

I'm still having trouble finding public school reporting/documentation procedures online. Aren't there federal guidelines or could they vary by state??

I’m honestly not sure. I found this guide for mandated reporters, but it doesn’t really answer your question either.

https://www.vasynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Guide-for-Mandated-Reporters.pdf

 

[fred&edna]

LE should have been notified of the 2021 incident Per A) 2


§ 22.1-279.3:1. Reports of certain acts to school authorities; reports of certain acts by school authorities to parents; reports of certain acts by school authorities to law enforcement

A. Reports shall be made to the division superintendent and to the principal or his designee on all incidents involving:

1. Alcohol, marijuana, a controlled substance, an imitation controlled substance, or an anabolic steroid on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity, including the theft or attempted theft of student prescription medications;

2. The assault and battery that results in bodily injury of any person on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity;

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/pdf/vacode/22.1-279.3:1/

ETA: There's more verbiage at the link... could my interpretation be incorrect?

 

[Simply Southern]

LE should have been notified of the 2021 incident Per A) 2


§ 22.1-279.3:1. Reports of certain acts to school authorities; reports of certain acts by school authorities to parents; reports of certain acts by school authorities to law enforcement

A. Reports shall be made to the division superintendent and to the principal or his designee on all incidents involving:

1. Alcohol, marijuana, a controlled substance, an imitation controlled substance, or an anabolic steroid on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity, including the theft or attempted theft of student prescription medications;

2. The assault and battery that results in bodily injury of any person on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity;

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/pdf/vacode/22.1-279.3:1/

ETA: There's more verbiage at the link... could my interpretation be incorrect?

Well I can tell ya, this ain’t happening in all Virginia schools. Just google ….
Moo

 

[Simply Southern]

Double post

 

[fred&edna]

Well I can tell ya, this ain’t happening in all Virginia schools. Just google ….
Moo

I have a fear that Virginia isn't the only place this isn't happening.

 

[sds71]

@Phil_Lewis_

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his teacher in a Virginia classroom pleads guilty to felony child neglect.

Deja Taylor pleads guilty to felony child neglect, prosecutors say child climbed dresser to grab gun from purse

Taylor, whose then-6-year-old son shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, appeared in Newport News court for a plea hearing.

www.13newsnow.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1691464233442332673

 

[Simply Southern]

@Phil_Lewis_

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his teacher in a Virginia classroom pleads guilty to felony child neglect.

Deja Taylor pleads guilty to felony child neglect, prosecutors say child climbed dresser to grab gun from purse

Taylor, whose then-6-year-old son shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, appeared in Newport News court for a plea hearing.

www.13newsnow.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1691464233442332673

Maybe the attorney will be invited to the Grand jury to provide information on the father.

Or the mother

Moo…

 

[borndem]

Whew -- I just found this thread, so I'm lagging behind, but I definitely get the gist of it all. SMH. Another bad, bad situation.
When will things like this stop? When the world stops spinning each day?
So many lives touched by this, and for some, that touch will never go away.

 

[jjonez]

“Prosecutors believe that the child stood on a drawer of his mother’s dresser and grabbed the gun out of her purse. He later told investigators that he stole the gun because "I needed to shoot my teacher."…

…According to prosecutors, CPS also discovered the child played with his mother's gun at his grandmother's house, saying he "wanted to go to a gun range."”

Deja Taylor pleads guilty to felony child neglect, prosecutors say child climbed dresser to grab gun from purse

Taylor, whose then-6-year-old son shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, appeared in Newport News court for a plea hearing.

www.13newsnow.com

 

[Ontario Mom]

“Prosecutors believe that the child stood on a drawer of his mother’s dresser and grabbed the gun out of her purse. He later told investigators that he stole the gun because "I needed to shoot my teacher."…

…According to prosecutors, CPS also discovered the child played with his mother's gun at his grandmother's house, saying he "wanted to go to a gun range."”

Deja Taylor pleads guilty to felony child neglect, prosecutors say child climbed dresser to grab gun from purse

Taylor, whose then-6-year-old son shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, appeared in Newport News court for a plea hearing.

www.13newsnow.com

No 6 year old child even knows gun ranges exist, unless someone tells them about it.
Who's talking to this kid about gun ranges?
Who's teaching this kid how to fire a deadly weapon?
Who's teaching/allowing a 6 year old child to speak the way he does?

Sounds to me like more than just his mother ought to be facing charges here.

 

[jjonez]

No 6 year old child even knows gun ranges exist, unless someone tells them about it.
Who's talking to this kid about gun ranges?
Who's teaching this kid how to fire a deadly weapon?
Who's teaching/allowing a 6 year old child to speak the way he does?

Sounds to me like more than just his mother ought to be facing charges here.

“Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn filed a motion to assign a special grand jury to this investigation to determine if anyone else should face charges related to the Richneck Elementary shooting.”

same article as above

Deja Taylor pleads guilty to felony child neglect, prosecutors say child climbed dresser to grab gun from purse

Taylor, whose then-6-year-old son shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, appeared in Newport News court for a plea hearing.

www.13newsnow.com

 

[tlcya]

@Phil_Lewis_

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his teacher in a Virginia classroom pleads guilty to felony child neglect.

Deja Taylor pleads guilty to felony child neglect, prosecutors say child climbed dresser to grab gun from purse

Taylor, whose then-6-year-old son shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, appeared in Newport News court for a plea hearing.

www.13newsnow.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1691464233442332673

wait, isn't the child' father in prison? How long has he been there? I mean the kid is only 6 (maybe 7 now). Maybe I am misremembering but I could have sworn I read in these threads that his father was incarcerated.

 

[sds71]

wait, isn't the child' father in prison? How long has he been there? I mean the kid is only 6 (maybe 7 now). Maybe I am misremembering but I could have sworn I read in these threads that his father was incarcerated.

Ellison has also failed to appear on a misdemeanor offense in Newport News Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court three times in 2023. Newport News police say he is currently wanted on a charge of failing to appear. Anyone with information about Ellison should call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

Court docs: Father of Richneck shooter assaulted two women, including boy’s mother

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – Until recently, the mother of the 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary School didn’t have much of a criminal record. However, 10 On Your Side&…

www.wavy.com

 

[fred&edna]

Ellison has also failed to appear on a misdemeanor offense in Newport News Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court three times in 2023. Newport News police say he is currently wanted on a charge of failing to appear. Anyone with information about Ellison should call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

Court docs: Father of Richneck shooter assaulted two women, including boy’s mother

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – Until recently, the mother of the 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary School didn’t have much of a criminal record. However, 10 On Your Side&…

www.wavy.com

No responsibility nor accountability... absolutely none.

 

[JennieM]

Mother of six-year-old who shot Virginia school teacher pleads guilty​

[…]

Deja Taylor, 26, entered the guilty plea as part of a deal with prosecutors to lessen the sentencing from up to six years to six months.

[…]

Taylor's sentencing is scheduled for 27 October.

As part of Taylor's plea deal, a separate misdemeanour charge of reckless storing of a firearm was dropped.

James Ellenson, a lawyer for Taylor, said his client remains remorseful, although he believes no prison time will be the appropriate sentence, NBC News reported.

"She feels very responsible, feels very bad," Mr Ellenson told reporters after the hearing.
The BBC has contacted Mr Ellenson for comment.

Taylor had previously told police she believed the gun was in her purse, secured with a trigger lock, and that the gunlock key was under her bedroom mattress.

But in her guilty plea she reportedly admitted that the gun was stored in a way that made it accessible.

[…]

Mother of six-year-old who shot Virginia school teacher pleads guilty

Deja Taylor has reportedly admitted that her gun was stored in a way that the boy could access it.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Simply Southern]

No 6 year old child even knows gun ranges exist, unless someone tells them about it.
Who's talking to this kid about gun ranges?
Who's teaching this kid how to fire a deadly weapon?
Who's teaching/allowing a 6 year old child to speak the way he does?

Sounds to me like more than just his mother ought to be facing charges here.

Where is CPS ??? Why are we not seeing others charged ???

And they give the mom a sweet deal.

Insane, MOO