NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The former assistant principal for Richneck Elementary School has been indicted with eight counts of child abuse with disregard for life, online court records show.
The charges for Ebony Parker came down from a special grand jury on March 11. According to the court documents, Parker showed "a reckless disregard for human life" while being responsible for students on Jan. 6, 2023, the day a 6-year-old student shot his first-grade teacher, Abby Zwerner.
The court documents stated that prosecutors recommended a $4,000 secured bond for Parker and the surrender of her passport, if one exists.
Shortly after the 2023 shooting, Parker resigned from the school and has made no public statements to date.
Zwerner survived the shooting and has filed a $40 million lawsuit against Newport News Public Schools, alleging the school division’s negligence allowed the shooting to happen and that the assistant principal ignored several warnings the boy had a gun that day.
According to the lawsuit, several teachers warned Parker on at least three separate occasions the student may have had a gun on him hours before the shooting.
The lawsuit claims that Parker told teachers the boy, "has small pockets," implying he couldn't hide a gun in his clothing. Zwerner's attorneys also claim an hour before the shooting, a school counselor asked the assistant principal to check the 6-year-old for a gun, a request which they said Parker dismissed.
Zwerner's attorneys, Diane Toscano, Kevin Biniazan, and Jeffrey Breit, issued a joint statement following the special grand jury indictments:
"These charges are very serious and underscore the failure of the school district to act to prevent the tragic shooting of Abby Zwerner. The school board continues to deny their responsibility to Abby, and this indictment is just another brick in the wall of mounting failures and gross negligence in their case."
Zwerner's lawsuit continues to move forward in court. At the end of March, the Virginia Court of Appeals declined to hear the Newport News School Board’s appeal that Zwerner's case falls under worker's compensation.
The trial for Zwerner's lawsuit is slated to begin on Jan. 21, 2025, which will mark just over two years since the shooting.
13News Now went to the address for Parker listed on court documents for comment from her, but no one came to the door.