Judge dismisses charges against ex-administrator accused after student
shot teacher
[May 22, 2026]
By JOHN RABY
A Virginia judge on Thursday dismissed all charges against a former
school administrator accused of ignoring repeated warnings that a
6-year-old had a gun hours before a teacher was shot.
Acting on a defense motion, Circuit Judge Rebecca Robinson issued the
ruling on the fourth day of the trial of Ebony Parker, who was charged
with eight felony counts of child neglect.
“The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime,” Robinson
said.
The former assistant principal was charged in the January 2023 shooting
at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News that left teacher Abby
Zwerner wounded. Prosecutors had said the charges issued in a grand jury
indictment were for each of the bullets in the gun brought into
Zwerner’s classroom. Each count could have carried a maximum penalty of
five years in prison upon conviction.
“We had hoped the community would have had the opportunity to weigh in
through the full judicial process,” Hampton commonwealth's attorney
Anton A. Bell said in a statement. “Nevertheless, the Court has now
concluded the matter as it deemed appropriate under the law. Our office
remains committed to pursuing justice with integrity, transparency, and
fairness, while continuing to honor the role that citizens play in our
criminal justice system.”
Parker lowered her head and cried when the judge announced her decision,
then hugged her attorneys afterward.
Defense attorney Curtis Rogers told the judge in making his motion that
Parker’s decision on the day of the shooting “wasn’t an act of neglect.”
“Her actions in no way indicated that she believed there was a firearm
in the possession” of the child, Rogers said.
Another defense attorney, Stephen Teague, said outside court that “we
believe that the right outcome was reached and we’re thrilled for Dr.
Parker. It was a great relief for her and we’re just happy that we were
part of her journey.”
Parker was not called to testify during the trial. On Wednesday, a video
interview of Parker conducted three days after the shooting by a school
district human resources officer was played in the courtroom for the
jury.
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Ebony Parker reacts after her trial on felony child neglect charges
was dismissed at Newport News Circuit Court in Newport News, Va.,
Thursday, May 21, 2026. (Peter Casey/The Virginian-Pilot via AP,
Pool)
Parker said she was told about reports that the student had a gun in
his backpack, but said she could not leave her office due to ongoing
testing. A reading specialist who first reported the concerns then
searched the backpack, but no gun was found, Parker said.
Parker then said the student’s mother would arrive to pick him up
and go through the rest of his belongings.
Zwerner testified earlier in the trial that during recess on the
school playground, the student wore an oversized jacket and kept
both of his hands in his pockets the entire time. Zwerner said she
sent a text message with that observation to the reading specialist,
who had been tipped off earlier by students about the gun and
reported it to Parker.
After recess, the student continued to wear the jacket in the
classroom, where Zwerner was shot at a reading table. Zwerner spent
nearly two weeks in the hospital, required six surgeries and does
not have the full use of her left hand. A bullet narrowly missed her
heart and remains in her chest.
Criminal charges against school officials after a school shooting
are quite rare, experts say. The shooting sent shock waves through
this military shipbuilding community and the country at large, with
many wondering how a child so young could gain access to a gun and
shoot his teacher.
A jury awarded $10 million to Zwerner in a civil trial last
November, where Parker, who no longer works at the school, was the
only defendant.
The student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison
for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges.
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