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

[Ladyotm]

The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his first-grade teacher in Newport News, Virginia, in January has been indicted on charges of felony child neglect, and one count of recklessly leaving a firearm to endanger a child, a news release from the office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney said Monday.

The child will not be criminally charged, Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn said last month.

Deja Taylor’s son shot his teacher Abigail Zwerner, 25, on January 6 at Richneck Elementary School, leaving her in the hospital with gunshot wounds to her hand and chest, investigators said.

The indictment comes after a “thorough investigation” from the police and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office, according to the news release.
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Are you thinking of the case in Michigan with Ethan Crumbly? That school was notified he might have a weapon, if I recall correctly. I do not remember this happening in the case of the 6 year old.

I found it! Why were they checking his book bag as soon as he arrived "late" to school. Questions, I ponder: Was mom looking for the missing gun? Was he able to hide it within the car and them move it to his bookbag?

Quoted from article, "The school system's superintendent, George Parker III, said at a virtual town hall this month that the boy had come to school late and that his book bag was inspected when he arrived at the office to sign in, said parents who watched the meeting."

 

[georgiajean]

I found it! Why were they checking his book bag as soon as he arrived "late" to school. Questions, I ponder: Was mom looking for the missing gun? Was he able to hide it within the car and them move it to his bookbag?

Quoted from article, "The school system's superintendent, George Parker III, said at a virtual town hall this month that the boy had come to school late and that his book bag was inspected when he arrived at the office to sign in, said parents who watched the meeting."

Given his behavior and prior experience, checking his backpack may have been a regular occurrence.

 

[x_files]

IMO she could have had him fully evaluated and allowed to receive any and every resource available.
Being only 25 and having a child who acts like this, she needed a lot of help.

But we don't know exactly what the parents did do, to help him and themselves.

What was available to them, what help did they accept, and was there anything they actually refused? Was he on waiting lists?

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a lot of help out there, and that needs to change.

 

[Ladyotm]

Or she's just some kind of perennial troublemaker who causes problems wherever she goes?

Emphasis mine.
Holy heck.
Is the mother related to or friends with the school admin. ?
This isn't the first time I've wondered that, either !!

Or is she an employee?

 

[mooseandcoffee]

Virginia 6-year-old who shot his teacher exposes flaws in how schools treat students with disabilities

The same problems that led to a 6-year-old boy shooting his teacher in Virginia often play out across the nation, as schools fail to follow disability plans

www.usatoday.com

This summarizes everything we have been saying. I am just glad to be out of the mess now. Kids with IEP's used to have difficulty with reading. Or a severe disability, like deafness or vision loss.

Now, you may have a kid who raped his sibling, carries weapons to school, and does meth at age 8. Yeah. Working on reading isn't going to help much.

Mother of 6-year-old student who shot teacher charged with child neglect | CNN

The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his first-grade teacher in Newport News, Virginia, in January has been indicted on charges of felony child neglect, and one count of recklessly leaving a firearm to endanger a child, a news release from the office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said Monday.

www.cnn.com

I'm just reading through this thread, so this other article may have been already shared. CNN reports that the teacher filed a lawsuit. The article says the parents refused for the child to be placed in the special ed classroom.

 

[x_files]

Yes, the WHY. Even the neighbors did not know. It's amazing this was kept a secret. No one leaked the mothers name.

In this day and age, I find that shocking! People gossip and post online.
Is anyone else curious if the child is actually a psychopath vs disabled? I hate to think a 6-year-old could be but it's happened before in history The one girl child they made a film about.

 

[x_files]

Every single administrative person from the school board on down was incompetent not for just a single day but for years!

toxic workplace.

 

[Ladyotm]

An assistant principal would be well educated and and experienced educator. You can't tell me she didn't know proper procedures on things like this.

Right! And should know how to use common sense in response to the shooting.

 

[x_files]

Mother of 6-year-old student who shot teacher charged with child neglect | CNN

The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his first-grade teacher in Newport News, Virginia, in January has been indicted on charges of felony child neglect, and one count of recklessly leaving a firearm to endanger a child, a news release from the office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said Monday.

www.cnn.com

I'm just reading through this thread, so this other article may have been already shared. CNN reports that the teacher filed a lawsuit. The article says the parents refused for the child to be placed in the special ed classroom.

I don't think the parents should have the right to refuse Special Edu Classes if indeed he needed to be in them.

 

[mickey2942]

In this day and age, I find that shocking! People gossip and post online.
Is anyone else curious if the child is actually a psychopath vs disabled? I hate to think a 6-year-old could be but it's happened before in history The one girl child they made a film about.

The child is labeled "Emotionally Disturbed", in order to access funding for special education services. Usually in a self contained classroom.

Sec. 300.8 (c) (4) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(4) (i) Emotional disturbance means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance: (A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or...

sites.ed.gov

 

[jjonez]

New information

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/04/11/richneck-elementary-shooting-assistant-principal-investigated/

This is behind a pay wall for me.

If you have the time to quote the highlights, or even paraphrase, I would be grateful.

 

[mooseandcoffee]

The parents did not want the child in special ed classes?
Anything else on that?

So I'm just going to say it out loud.

Is this a racial issue? Gender identity issue?
Some other controversial issue constantly in the headlines these days?
Threats of discrimination lawsuits, doxxing, "cancelling" going on?

I can't be the only one wondering this, right?

There are so many special education laws governing identification, placement, and services for kiddos on IEPs. The fact that the parents are saying "acute disability" but not wanting the kiddo in a special education class tells me that this has been a contentious relationship between parents and school. It may take some time to wade through all of that.

 

[mooseandcoffee]

The child is labeled "Emotionally Disturbed", in order to access funding for special education services. Usually in a self contained classroom.

Sec. 300.8 (c) (4) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(4) (i) Emotional disturbance means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance: (A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or...

sites.ed.gov

Not always in a self-contained room.

 

[Erutan]

I don't think the parents should have the right to refuse Special Edu Classes if indeed he needed to be in them.

Exactly.
This child was being failed by his family and the school admins.

 

[Lilibet]

This is behind a pay wall for me.

If you have the time to quote the highlights, or even paraphrase, I would be grateful.

Here you go. Subscribers can post links to “gift articles.”

https://wapo.st/41lSR07

 

[mooseandcoffee]

This. Normal kids, from Normal home environments are not like this child. I was particularly disturbed by the information that this child lifted a girl's dress during recess, and was on top of her. That is NOT what five year old children do...

Even if there is a diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder, which is definitely what this child sounds like, there is a lot more beyond this diagnosis, to unpack in this particular case. INMO.

Okay.

I am horrified by this case. However, I am also a special education teacher and parent of a child with a disability. So I am also horrified by some of the reactions to this case.

This child is a 6 year old child. He has been found to have a disability. Considering that his parents had a gun within his reach AND refused for their child to be in the special education classroom, there are clearly issues with the parents.

Saying that "normal kids and normal home environments are not like this child" is not okay. Can "normal people" have children with horrifying issues? Yep.

Do I think these parents sound like good parents? No. Is this kiddo getting the help he obviously desperately needs? No.

As a result, he injured his teacher and put other children at risk.

I am not okay with people jumping to conclusions about kids with disabilities, least restrictive environments/separating kids from other children, kids not "deserving" an education, etc.

The parents of this child failed him. The administrators of the school who knew about the gun and did nothing failed the teacher.

Gotta step away, I think. **MOO**

 

[mooseandcoffee]

I don't think the parents should have the right to refuse Special Edu Classes if indeed he needed to be in them.

It happens all the time.

 

[PrairieWind]

I don't think the parents should have the right to refuse Special Edu Classes if indeed he needed to be in them.

There can be a LOT of reasons here, so I wont pass judgment on this for now. Special education is a minefield. There can be very legitimate reasons to refuse sped classes in some situations.

 

[mickey2942]

Okay.

I am horrified by this case. However, I am also a special education teacher and parent of a child with a disability. So I am also horrified by some of the reactions to this case.

This child is a 6 year old child. He has been found to have a disability. Considering that his parents had a gun within his reach AND refused for their child to be in the special education classroom, there are clearly issues with the parents.

Saying that "normal kids and normal home environments are not like this child" is not okay. Can "normal people" have children with horrifying issues? Yep.

Do I think these parents sound like good parents? No. Is this kiddo getting the help he obviously desperately needs? No.

As a result, he injured his teacher and put other children at risk.

I am not okay with people jumping to conclusions about kids with disabilities, least restrictive environments/separating kids from other children, kids not "deserving" an education, etc.

The parents of this child failed him. The administrators of the school who knew about the gun and did nothing failed the teacher.

Gotta step away, I think. **MOO**

I stand by what I said. A normal kid, even disabled, in kindergarten, isn't knocking down a peer, lifting her dress, and getting on top of her. That is serious behavioral issues. And sexual assault. It isn't "playing doctor".

 

[x_files]

The child is labeled "Emotionally Disturbed", in order to access funding for special education services. Usually in a self contained classroom.

Sec. 300.8 (c) (4) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(4) (i) Emotional disturbance means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance: (A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or...

sites.ed.gov

Was this child labeled "Emotionally Disturbed"? I recall the attorney said he has an "acute disability."
Could be the same maybe?