Nationwide — Ebony Parker, a former elementary school assistant principal who faced felony child abuse charges tied to a 2023 school shooting, recently had her case dismissed by a Virginia judge. The ruling ended the criminal proceedings after trial arguments concluded.
A Virginia circuit court judge on Thursday granted the defense motion to dismiss, agreeing that the prosecution’s allegations did not meet the legal definition of a crime. Judge Rebecca Robinson said the court found no clear legal basis to proceed, according to CNN.
The case centered on the January 6, 2023 shooting in Newport News, Virginia, where a 6-year-old student brought a gun from home and shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner in the classroom.
Prosecutors accused Parker of ignoring warnings that the child may have a firearm and failing to act quickly enough to prevent the shooting. The defense countered that school staff responded within their roles and argued the situation did not amount to criminal conduct.
Parker faced eight felony counts of child abuse and disregard for life, with each count linked to bullets in the child’s gun. She pleaded not guilty and risked significant prison time if convicted. After the prosecution rested its case, the judge dismissed all charges with prejudice, preventing the case from being refiled.
The student’s mother, Deja Taylor, previously pleaded guilty to child neglect and federal gun charges related to the shooting and served time in custody. Prosecutors have said the child will not face criminal charges due to his age and mental health concerns.
Testimony during the trial included accounts from teachers and staff who said concerns about the child possibly carrying a weapon were raised before the shooting. Some witnesses said they alerted Parker, who ordered a backpack search but advised against searching the child’s pockets until a parent arrived.
The judge ruled that the prosecution’s theory did not clearly fit the statute after hearing the evidence, leading to the case being thrown out before the defense presented its case.
In a separate civil trial, a jury previously awarded Zwerner $10 million after finding failures in how the school handled the situation. Parker has since appealed that civil ruling.