A Virginia circuit court judge on Thursday (May 21) dismissed all charges against Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal of Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. Parker faced eight felony counts of child neglect after being accused of ignoring warnings that a 6-year-old student had a gun, leading to the shooting of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner in January 2023.

Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Robinson ruled that Parker's actions did not constitute a crime under Virginia law. "The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime," Robinson stated, explaining her rationale for dismissing the charges. Parker, visibly emotional, broke down in tears following the decision.

Prosecutors had argued that Parker failed to act on multiple warnings from school employees who believed the child had a gun in his backpack. Despite these warnings, Parker allegedly did not instruct staff to search the child or contact the police, instead indicating that the child's mother would soon arrive to pick him up.

During the trial, special prosecutor Josh Jenkins highlighted the school's policy requiring administrators to take action in crisis situations. Jenkins noted that a school counselor had requested permission to search the child, which Parker denied, citing that searches could only be conducted by a security officer or administrator. At the time, the school's security officer was away.

Parker's attorney, Curtis Rogers, argued that the responsibility lay with the teachers to act if they suspected the child had a gun. He acknowledged that Parker may have made a mistake but insisted she did not commit a crime.

The incident resulted in Zwerner being shot in the hand and chest, requiring multiple surgeries and leaving her with lasting injuries. In a civil trial last year, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million, finding Parker liable for ignoring warning signs. Zwerner's attorneys expressed disappointment with the criminal case dismissal, emphasizing the importance of the civil court's verdict.

The child's mother, Deja Taylor, was previously sentenced to two years in prison for felony child neglect and 21 months on federal weapons charges related to the incident.

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