VA - 6-YEAR-OLD in custody after shooting teacher, Newport News, Jan 2023 *mom charged* #2

[chipwhitley]

This makes me see red...
Please, tell me what else AZ could have done. It was reported numerous times and administration refused to search the child, call the parent or LE. Moo

Abby Zwerner’s lawyers file $40M lawsuit against Newport News schools

According to Zwerner’s lawyers, the lawsuit filed Monday morning alleges gross negligence and reckless breach of duty against the school board and three former administrators at the school.

www.wavy.com

"Mrs. Briana Foster-Newton will vigorously defend any charges brought against her as a part of the lawsuit filed by Ms. Zwerner and respond accordingly.
In addition, we are exploring the possibility of a countersuit as it has been brought to our attention that prior to the shooting,
another student in Ms. Zwerner’s class warned her in class that the six-year-old shooter had a gun and Ms. Zwerner allegedly told the student to sit down and be quiet.
If this is true, Ms.Zwerner may have been able to avoid the injury she suffered and this will certainly impact her claimed damages.

This information was never reported to Mrs. Newton. Our investigation ofthis new information is on going."

Unbelievable!!!

 

[fred&edna]

Unbelievable!!!

Makes one wonder why she's still employed (assuming, of course, that her attorney is acting as her mouthpiece).

 

[shotgun09]

Unbelievable!!!

I am not liking where ( I think ) this is going....
if you gnome saying

 

[Daisyeve]

The principal Foster-Newton should have been checking everyday to make sure a parent was with this child all day at school since this was the plan and she surely had to be aware of this child’s behavior. If a parent wasn’t available she should have assigned a qualified person to stay with the child and if none available she should have stayed with him. She was the person responsible for the safety of all students and teachers at that school. Also not having safety drills and two of the classrooms not even having doors are also things she let slide. For the principal to try to blame the teacher after it was reported to the person Foster- Newton should have also been supervising,(Parker), shows that an attitude of not caring was encouraged by her instead of identifying problems and correcting them. Clearly she failed the teachers, students and other employees of the school because she knew this student was a danger to the students and staff and she allowed him to attend without one to one supervision which he obviously required. To shift the blame to a teacher trying to actually teach 20 other students is ridiculous. The blame falls to the principal, her assistant principal and the child’s parents. This is my opinion in response to a statement about a possible counter suit from the principal.

 

[chipwhitley]

this whole case is just so puzzling. I just don't understand the protection of this family. It doesn't even seem like any "gossip" about the child or who his family is has made its way online.

 

[mickey2942]

I really don't understand the role of the SRO at this elementary school, it seems like several adults were told that the child had a gun.

At that point, the SRO should have escorted the child to the Principal's office, patted him down, gone thru his stuff, and called parents to come get him, or if he found a gun, do their process.

 

[shotgun09]

I really don't understand the role of the SRO at this elementary school, it seems like several adults were told that the child had a gun.

At that point, the SRO should have escorted the child to the Principal's office, patted him down, gone thru his stuff, and called parents to come get him, or if he found a gun, do their process.

If I am not mistaken, there was not an SRO at this school at the time of the shooting. Only afterwards, was that added. I could be wrong though..

 

[mickey2942]

If I am not mistaken, there was not an SRO at this school at the time of the shooting. Only afterwards, was that added. I could be wrong though..

Wasn't there a guy, like security, the child saw at lunch?

 

[shotgun09]

Wasn't there a guy, like security, the child saw at lunch?

I don't think he was security. A male teacher was discussed during the whole afternoon fiasco, but I do not think there were any SRO's there. If I recall, the district had one SRO for all the elementary schools during that time.

 

[fred&edna]

I wonder if Letty Lopez tried to hire James Ellenson to represent her when she was charged back in Feb and just didn't have enough money to pay his fees?

Lopez, 35, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and allowing a child to have access to a loaded firearm

Norfolk, Virginia, mother charged after child, 6, brings a gun to school

Letty M. Lopez was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and allowing a child to have access to a loaded firearm, Norfolk police said.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[IDK]

I am not liking where ( I think ) this is going....
if you gnome saying

I’m not sure I understand what you are saying? I know this attack on Ms. Zwerner by the former principal literally makes me sick. How low can she go? I don’t think it will play well with the media, parents or school employees. Or at least I hope not. IMO, it reeks of victim blaming. Ms Zwerner deserves so much better.

I would be very interested to hear where you think this might be headed?

 

[shotgun09]

I’m not sure I understand what you are saying? I know this attack on Ms. Zwerner by the former principal literally makes me sick. How low can she go? I don’t think it will play well with the media, parents or school employees. Or at least I hope not. IMO, it reeks of victim blaming. Ms Zwerner deserves so much better.

I would be very interested to hear where you think this might be headed?

Yes, it is the absolute shock of Victim Blaming. The circling the wagons around the school, the "perp", in order to lay blame on Abby. And, the press and the sickening attorneys getting their 'side of the story' out, makes me ill. This is not a story. It's a nightmare.

 

[IDK]

Yes, it is the absolute shock of Victim Blaming. The circling the wagons around the school, the "perp", in order to lay blame on Abby. And, the press and the sickening attorneys getting their 'side of the story' out, makes me ill. This is not a story. It's a nightmare.

I totally agree, it’s outright disgusting, IMO. Thanks for your eloquent summary— very well said!

 

[Erutan]

This makes me see red...
Please, tell me what else AZ could have done. It was reported numerous times and administration refused to search the child, call the parent or LE. Moo

Abby Zwerner’s lawyers file $40M lawsuit against Newport News schools

According to Zwerner’s lawyers, the lawsuit filed Monday morning alleges gross negligence and reckless breach of duty against the school board and three former administrators at the school.

www.wavy.com

"Mrs. Briana Foster-Newton will vigorously defend any charges brought against her as a part of the lawsuit filed by Ms. Zwerner and respond accordingly.
In addition, we are exploring the possibility of a countersuit as it has been brought to our attention that prior to the shooting,
another student in Ms. Zwerner’s class warned her in class that the six-year-old shooter had a gun and Ms. Zwerner allegedly told the student to sit down and be quiet.
If this is true, Ms.Zwerner may have been able to avoid the injury she suffered and this will certainly impact her claimed damages.

This information was never reported to Mrs. Newton. Our investigation ofthis new information is on going."

Green bolding mine.
Did this actually happen or was the student (I'm assuming another 6 year old !) told what to say ?
It appears to me that a massive CYA mode has kicked into action.
Who knows what else could be brought to light in the wake of Ms. Zwerner's lawsuit ?
Imo.

 

[alex dvport]

Teacher shot by 6-year-old student files $40 million lawsuit

A Virginia teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by her 6-year-old student filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $40 million in damages from school officials, accusing them of gross negligence and of ignoring multiple warnings the day of the shooting that the boy was armed and in a “violent mood.”...

www.yahoo.com

“Teachers' concerns with John Doe's behavior (were) regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed,” the lawsuit states. Often after he was taken to the office, “he would return to class shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy," according to the lawsuit.
The boy's parents did not agree to put him in special education classes where he would be with other students with behavioral issues, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit describes a series of warnings school employees gave administrators in the hours before the shooting, beginning with Zwerner, who went to the office of assistant principal Ebony Parker between 11:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and told her the boy “was in a violent mood,” threatened to beat up a kindergartener and stared down a security officer in the lunchroom. The lawsuit alleges that Parker “had no response, refusing even to look up at (Zwerner) when she expressed her concerns.”
Kovac told Ebony Parker that the boy had told students he had a gun. Parker responded his "pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing,” the lawsuit states.

I am also thinking the parents might need to be sued as well ?
According to the link, the weapon was on a high shelf and had a lock on it.
IMO --- I somewhat doubt that, considering this child should not have been able to access it.
To shoot Ms. Zwern the gun had to be loaded and the safety off.

This article has me seeing red !
Grrr.
Ugh.
Imo.

If I’m this teacher, I’m absolutely suing the parents. They were told about their child’s dangerous behavior. They refused special education services. They decided to own a gun that their child could access. Maybe once parents start being held responsible for weapons and for not meeting the needs of the behavior of their children, things will change.

 

[shotgun09]

If I’m this teacher, I’m absolutely suing the parents. They were told about their child’s dangerous behavior. They refused special education services. They decided to own a gun that their child could access. Maybe once parents start being held responsible for weapons and for not meeting the needs of the behavior of their children, things will change.

Exactly! One would think that might be the logical step. But....ZERO charges, and ZERO mention of the parents?
WHY ?????

Who? And, what are they? That gets them protected, shielded and coddled? IMO

 

[alex dvport]

This is horrible. Trying to blame the victim. And now all these parents are ganging up on her. I still want to know why wasn't the principal approachable that day? What was she doing? School leaders knew this kid was dangerous, were approached several times about a gun, and did nothing...

The question that these parents should be asking (to admin) is why the child was allowed to attend classes if the parent wasn’t in attendance. If that was the ridiculous deal that admin made, then it should have been upheld.

 

[Simply Southern]

Green bolding mine.
Did this actually happen or was the student (I'm assuming another 6 year old !) told what to say ?
It appears to me that a massive CYA mode has kicked into action.
Who knows what else could be brought to light in the wake of Ms. Zwerner's lawsuit ?
Imo.

Looks like they play dirty. Not a surprise. I have a feeling AZ knows what she is in for with this bunch. MOO...

 

[Ontario Mom]

this whole case is just so puzzling. I just don't understand the protection of this family. It doesn't even seem like any "gossip" about the child or who his family is has made its way online.

There was some, early on. Someone alleging to be the mother of one of the students in the class, posted a pic of the child who did the shooting, with his face blurred. The NYP picked it up immediately (even credited the mother's name in the caption under the pic, and stated it was from her FB) but then later removed the image from the article. I'm sure I'm not the only one who saw that before it magically disappeared.

 

[Simply Southern]

Yes, it is the absolute shock of Victim Blaming. The circling the wagons around the school, the "perp", in order to lay blame on Abby. And, the press and the sickening attorneys getting their 'side of the story' out, makes me ill. This is not a story. It's a nightmare.

I think the foundation that awarded the grant to the school initially and then retracted and awarded to AZ, knew early on life would be difficult for her.

MOO...