Judge Dismisses Charges Against Ex-Assistant Principal
Ebony Parker charges dismissed
A Newport News Circuit Court judge dismissed all charges on Thursday against Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal of Richneck Elementary School who had been facing eight counts of felony child neglect. The ruling came on the fourth day of the trial, with Judge Rebecca M. Robinson concluding that the actions described by prosecutors did not meet the legal threshold for criminal conduct.
“The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime,” Robinson stated, noting that if such behavior is to be criminalized, it would require new legislation from the Virginia General Assembly.
Parker had been indicted by a special grand jury in 2023 following the January 6, 2023, shooting of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner.
Prosecutors had argued that Parker willfully ignored repeated warnings from staff members that a six-year-old student was in possession of a firearm. According to the state, Parker had the authority to search the student or involve law enforcement but failed to act, with the charges representing each bullet in the weapon used in the attack. The shooting resulted in severe injuries to Zwerner, who suffered a collapsed lung and permanent damage to her left hand after being struck by a bullet while protecting her students.
The defense team successfully argued for the dismissal, asserting that Parker’s decisions at the time were not an act of criminal neglect. Defense attorney Curtis Rogers maintained that while the situation was tragic, the prosecution had failed to prove the “reckless disregard for human life” required for a felony conviction.
Following the dismissal, defense attorneys expressed relief, characterizing the outcome as the correct legal conclusion for the former administrator.
This criminal trial followed a 2025 civil verdict in which a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in damages after finding that Parker had ignored warnings about the student’s behavior. That civil judgment remains under appeal.
The incident, which sent shockwaves through the Newport News community and prompted national debate regarding school safety protocols, has led to broader discussions about administrative accountability and the legal frameworks governing school responses to potential threats. While the mother of the student involved was previously sentenced to nearly four years in prison on separate charges, the dismissal of the criminal case against Parker marks a significant conclusion to the legal proceedings surrounding the school’s administrative oversight.
