Judge dismisses charges against ex-school official accused of neglect after 6-year-old shot teacher
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- All charges against Ebony Parker, former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary, were dismissed by a Virginia judge, who ruled that her actions did not constitute a crime in connection to a 6-year-old student's shooting of a teacher.
- Parker faced eight felony child neglect counts related to the January 2023 incident where teacher Abby Zwerner was seriously wounded, but the court found insufficient legal grounds to convict her.
- During the trial, prosecutors argued Parker ignored warnings about the student's gun, while the defense maintained she did not believe the child had a firearm and acted appropriately given the circumstances.
- The shooting left Zwerner with severe injuries requiring multiple surgeries, and a jury previously awarded her $10 million in a civil trial where Parker was the sole defendant.
- The student's mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges, highlighting the rarity of criminal charges against school officials in such cases.