Lawyers for school boards say being shot is an expected risk of the job.

Abigail Zwerner, a first-grade teacher in Virginia, has been informed by lawyers for the Newport News school board that she is only eligible to file a worker’s compensation claim after being shot by a six-year-old student. The board's lawyers argued that the injury she sustained was just a “workplace hazard”. James Graves, president of the Newport News teachers union, expressed his disdain for this viewpoint. In a statement to the Daily Press he said: “This is not military, this is not the police department. This is an education system.” On Facebook, Graves wrote a post to further explain his opinion on the matter. He said that the school board’s lawyers are trying to imply that being shot is something teachers should expect when they sign up to teach.

Graves has also reported that other school employees such as security officers and janitors have approached him with their worries. He has urged all employees to attend upcoming school board meetings. Abigail Zwerner had initially filed a 40 million dollar lawsuit in April 2023 against the board, former superintendent George Parker III, and ex-Principal Brianna Foster Newton for ignoring the warnings that the child who eventually shot her had possession of a gun.

The court documents were recently unsealed, revealing that the child had made statements such as “I shot the b—– dead” shortly after the shooting. It is still uncertain as to how the six-year-old got a hold of his mother’s firearm, but she is facing a federal offense for using marijuana while possessing a firearm. Deja Taylor will face between 18-24 months in prison, however, her son will not be charged as he is too young to understand the legal complexities.

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