Teacher Sues School Board After Being Shot by 6-Year-Old Student

The teacher, Abigail Zwerner, was shot by a 6-year-old student in her first-grade classroom at Richneck Elementary.
Zwerner accuses school officials of gross negligence and of ignoring multiple warnings the day of the shooting.
The school board rejected Zwerner's claim that she could reasonably expect to work with young children who pose no danger, pointing to numerous incidents of violence against teachers across the U.S. and in Newport News.
The school board argues that the lawsuit "strategically focuses on the use of a handgun as opposed to some other weapon with less perceived notoriety and shock value."
The Newport News School Board argues that a teacher's injuries from being shot by a student fall under workers' compensation and cannot be addressed through her $40 million lawsuit.