
Newport News, Virginia — In a case that gripped national attention, Toscano Law Group has secured a $10 million jury verdict after a two-week trial on behalf of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6-year-old student at Richneck Elementary School. “The Newport News school division had a duty to Abby — and they failed her miserably that day,” said lead attorney Diane Toscano. “This verdict speaks not just for our client, but for teachers everywhere.” A Tragic Day in the Classroom On January 6, 2023, Zwerner was teaching her first-grade class when a 6-year-old student entered with a handgun taken from home. Multiple staff members warned the assistant principal that the student might be armed — yet no action was taken. Later in the day, the child shot Zwerner, striking her hand and chest. Despite her injuries, she ushered her students to safety. The Legal Battle: Accountability for Inaction Represented by Diane Toscano and co-counsel at Breit Biniazan, the case against former assistant principal Ebony Parker alleged gross negligence for failing to respond to repeated warnings. The case argued that the assistant principal ignored multiple credible reports — a failure that nearly cost Ms. Zwerner her life. Expert testimony detailed her extensive injuries and emotional trauma, while Toscano’s legal team emphasized systemic failures in school safety response. The jury’s $10 million verdict confirmed the assistant principal's responsibility for the injuries. Why This Case Matters This verdict establishes a precedent for school safety accountability and signals to school systems nationwide that negligence will not go unchallenged. Key takeaways: - School officials have a legal duty to act on safety warnings. - Failure to respond can result in multi-million-dollar liability. Watch & Read More YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsDRzuFaXFI Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/virginia-teacher-shot-by-6-year-old-awarded-10-million-civil-trial-2025-11-06/ AP News — https://apnews.com/article/68865dde6f4953ef8a9dbda30e957ddb





