Full Breakdown
Trial of Former Assistant Principal Ebony Parker Begins
5/20/2026, 1:51:34 AM
Background and Prior Litigation
In January 2023, six-year-old student “J.T.” entered Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, with a loaded handgun taken from his mother’s purse and shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner in the hand and chest. Zwerner survived after two weeks of hospitalization and six surgeries. Zwerner sued the school district in April 2023, alleging that former assistant principal Ebony Parker ignored multiple warnings about the child’s weapon. A November 2025 civil jury found Parker liable for gross negligence and awarded Zwerner $10 million; Parker appealed and resigned two weeks after the shooting.
Key Participants
- Ebony Parker – former assistant principal, defendant.
- Abby Zwerner – shooting victim and plaintiff.
- Amy Kovac – reading specialist who reported gun concerns to Parker.
- Josh Jenkins – Deputy Commonwealth Attorney, lead prosecutor.
- Curtis Rogers – defense attorney for Parker.
- Briana Foster Newton – principal, not informed of warnings.
- Deja Taylor – mother of J.T., convicted of felony child neglect.
Timeline
- Jan 6 2023 – J.T. brings gun; shoots Zwerner.
- Jan 25 2023 – Parker resigns.
- Jan 29 2023 – Principal Newton reassigned.
- Apr 3 2023 – Zwerner files $40 million lawsuit.
- Nov 2025 – Civil jury awards $10 million to Zwerner.
- May 18-21 2026 – Criminal trial of Parker; jury selection and opening statements.
Charges, Penalties, and Statistics
Parker faces eight counts of felony child neglect—one for each bullet loaded in the gun (one fired, one jammed). Each count is a Class 6 felony punishable by up to five years, potentially totaling 40 years imprisonment. Nineteen children were present in the classroom. The boy’s mother received a two-year state sentence and a 21-month federal sentence.
Significance for School Safety
The case tests whether school administrators can be criminally liable for failing to act on weapon warnings. A conviction could affect insurance payouts from the Virginia Risk Sharing Association and shape statewide policies on staff reporting and search authority.
Official Statements
Prosecutor Jenkins stressed that Parker “had both the authority to act and the knowledge of the ongoing crisis.” Defense lawyer Rogers countered that “other staff, including the teacher, had direct contact with the child and could have intervened.” The district noted that only administrators and school-resource officers may search a student, and no officer was on site that day.
Criticism and Opposition
Parker’s counsel argued she had no legal duty to protect Zwerner and that the shooting was “unforeseeable.” They also emphasized that teachers, not administrators, were in continuous contact with the child and could have separated him from classmates.
Witness Testimony
Zwerner testified she warned Parker the child seemed “off” and “in a violent mood.” Kovac described seeing the boy with an oversized jacket, hearing a gunshot, and restraining him after the incident. Both accounts underscore rapid escalation despite prior alerts.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Defense questioning suggested the weapon might have been a toy, while prosecutors maintained it was a real handgun. School policy restricts searches to administrators or resource officers, yet Parker reportedly declined to search the child’s backpack. The principal’s awareness of the warnings remains disputed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There was only one person in the school that day that had both the authority to act and the knowledge of the ongoing crisis, and that person you will see was Dr. Parker,” — Josh Jenkins, Assistant Commonwealth Attorney
- “If the commonwealth wants to accuse Dr. Parker, what about these other people that had direct contact with this child?” — Curtis Rogers, Defense Attorney
- “I saw the student looking at me. I looked over. A gun was pointed right at me. He was holding a gun, the student. It was pointed right at me. And then I was shot,” — Abby Zwerner, Teacher
- “I thought I was on my way to heaven or in heaven,” — Abby Zwerner
- “No one is the sole person responsible for school safety,” — Amy Klinger, Education-administration expert
- “the law requires you to examine people’s decisions at the time they make them.” — Parker’s attorney (civil trial)
Outlook
The trial is slated to last three days; a guilty verdict could carry up to 40 years imprisonment and influence future liability standards for school officials. Insurers may reassess coverage obligations pending the outcome.
