A $10 million verdict against a Virginia school administrator exposes how failed discipline, ignored warnings, and institutional neglect put innocent teachers and students at risk—while leftist “restorative justice” priorities continue to erode school safety.
Story Snapshot
- Jury awards $10 million to former first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner after she was shot by a 6-year-old student, citing gross negligence by the assistant principal.
- Multiple warnings about the armed student were ignored, raising serious questions about school leadership and left-wing “restorative justice” failures.
- The shooter’s mother faces nearly four years in prison, while the boy—deemed too young to prosecute—will not face criminal charges for the shooting.
- The Trump administration’s renewed focus on discipline and accountability offers a sharp contrast to the prior era’s permissive, dangerous policies.
Jury’s $10 Million Verdict Exposes School Safety Failures
A jury in Virginia has awarded $10 million in damages to Abby Zwerner, a former first-grade teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by a 6-year-old student in January 2023.
The verdict finds former assistant principal Ebony Parker grossly negligent for ignoring repeated warnings that the boy was violent and possibly armed. Zwerner’s lawsuit revealed a pattern of inaction: teachers and staff repeatedly flagged the boy’s threats and suspicious behavior, but Parker failed to act, leaving students and staff exposed to grave risk.
BREAKING: A Virginia jury found that an assistant principal acted with gross negligence when a student shot his first grade teacher in a lawsuit filed over the 2023 shooting.
The jury awarded the teacher, Abby Zwerner, $10 million in damages.
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— ABC News (@ABC) November 6, 2025
Ignored Warnings and the Cost of “Restorative Justice”
The events at Richneck Elementary illuminate the deadly consequences of educational leadership prioritizing bureaucracy and “restorative” discipline over common-sense safety measures.
On the day of the shooting, Zwerner and other staff reported the boy’s violent threats and suspected possession of a firearm. Despite specific warnings—including students seeing a gun and teachers requesting a further search—Parker declined to act, even forbidding additional searches.
The school’s apparent unwillingness to enforce discipline reflects a broader leftist trend that undermines authority and emboldens dangerous behavior.
Zwerner’s lawsuit documented a troubling history: the boy had allegedly strangled a kindergarten teacher the year prior, yet his behavioral issues were dismissed, and his parents refused special education placement.
School leadership repeatedly ignored red flags. This pattern aligns with the previous administration’s embrace of “restorative” approaches—policies that too often prioritize the offender’s feelings over the safety of teachers and students. The consequence? A preventable tragedy and a legal reckoning for those in charge.
Accountability Remains Elusive for All Involved
Despite the gravity of the shooting, accountability remains limited. The 6-year-old shooter cannot be criminally charged under Virginia law, with prosecutors stating he is too young to understand the legal system.
His mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for child neglect and weapons charges after it was revealed the firearm was accessible in her home. Meanwhile, Parker, the former assistant principal, faces a separate criminal trial on eight counts of felony child neglect, potentially facing decades in prison if convicted.
The school district’s principal and superintendent were dismissed as defendants in Zwerner’s lawsuit, with the superintendent fired and Parker resigning after the incident. The lack of criminal consequences for the child underscores a system that prioritizes procedure over protection, leaving teachers and parents to wonder who will stand up for their safety and values.
Trump Administration Reverses Course on School Discipline and Safety
The Trump administration’s renewed focus on law and order stands in sharp contrast to the failures that led to this tragedy. With new executive orders empowering schools to enforce discipline, protect staff, and reject federal mandates that undermine local authority,
President Trump’s policies are restoring accountability. The administration’s crackdown on leniency and “restorative justice” is intended to prevent such incidents by prioritizing the safety of teachers and students. As families demand real solutions, the era of excuses and bureaucratic indifference may finally be coming to an end.
The Virginia verdict is a wake-up call: American schools must choose between appeasing failed ideologies or returning to the principles of order, discipline, and genuine accountability that keep communities safe.
The Trump administration’s actions signal that the days of ignoring red flags—and sacrificing teachers to political correctness—are over.
