US teacher files $40m lawsuit against school for boy who shot her

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Apr 2023 19:51

There has been an increase in anger among the community since local authorities stated they wouldn't press charges against the boy as his age is too young for him to comprehend the consequences.

Kids showing support for Richneck Elementary School teacher Abby Zwerner in Virginia, US, on January 9, 2023 (AP)

A $40 million lawsuit has been filed by Abigail Zwerner, the US teacher shot by a 6-year-old in January, against the school for negligence and ignoring warning signs about the boy's aggressive behavior.

According to NBC News, the lawsuit demonstrates that the boy has a history of violent behavior, especially one that includes the boy breaking Zwerner's phone and being suspended for it just two days before shooting her.

When the boy returned to school after suspension, his mother did not stay with him as required since one parent must accompany him during the school day due to his "violent tendencies," the lawsuit added.

That same morning, Zwerner notified the administration that the boy was in a "violent mood" and told them that he threatened to physically assault a classmate. A shocking revelation in the lawsuit shows that another teacher notified the administration that the boy had a gun in his backpack but the school reportedly ignored it.

A handgun was used in the incident, but police do not know how the child came into possession of the firearm. Zwerner added that she had undergone four surgeries on her hand as a result of an injury from the shot.

Last year, the boy was placed on a modified schedule after "chasing students around the playground with a belt to whip them with it, as well as cursing at staff and teachers."

There has been an increase in anger among the community since local authorities stated they wouldn't press charges against the boy as his age is too young for him to comprehend the consequences or the behaviors themselves - but criminal cases against the adults involved were not excluded.

Not only have school shootings constantly made headlines in the US this past year, but guns have been increasingly more accessible to children, as several incidents across the country have shown. The most recent school shooting was just last week when a shooter in Nashville entered a Christian school and opened fire, killing 6.