“Teachers' concerns with John Doe's behavior (were) regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed,” the lawsuit says. Under the modified schedule, one of the boy's parents was required to accompany him during the school day. He was placed on a modified schedule “because he was chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it" and was cursing staff and teachers, it says. School officials removed the boy from Richneck and sent him to another school for the remainder of the year but allowed him to return to Richneck for first grade in fall 2022, the lawsuit says.
“All Defendants knew that John Doe attacked students and teachers alike, and his motivation to injure was directed toward anyone in his path, both in and out of school, and was not limited to teachers while at the school,” the lawsuit says.
In the lawsuit, Zwerner's attorneys say all of the defendants knew the boy “had a history of random violence” at school and at home, including an episode the year before when he “strangled and choked” his kindergarten teacher. The board also voted to install metal detectors in every school in the district, beginning with Richneck, and to purchase clear backpacks for all students. The principal was reassigned to another job within the school district. The superintendent was fired by the school board after the shooting, and the assistant principal resigned. When the boy returned to her class the next day, he pulled his mother’s 9mm handgun out of his pocket and shot her, the legal notice said. Two days before the shooting, the boy “slammed” Zwerner’s cellphone and broke it, leading to a one-day suspension, the legal notice said. The former superintendent did not immediately return a message left on his cellphone seeking comment. Michelle Price, a spokesperson for the school board Lisa Surles-Law, chair of the school board and other board members did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment on the lawsuit. The lawsuit names the Newport News School Board and several school district officials, including former Superintendent George Parker III, as defendants. In February, Zwerner’s legal notice of her intent to sue the school district said the boy who shot Zwerner had constantly cursed at staff and teachers, tried to whip students with his belt and once choked another teacher “until she couldn’t breathe.” Toscano said the school administration “was paralyzed by apathy” and didn’t call police, remove the boy from class or lock down the school. Zwerner’s attorney, Diane Toscano, told reporters in January that school staff members had warned administrators three times the child had a gun and was threatening other students in the hours before Zwerner was shot.
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