{"id":2083056,"date":"2023-10-29T09:49:41","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T13:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawyers-spar-over-possibility-of-workers-compensation-for-teacher-who-was-shot-by-6-year-old\/"},"modified":"2023-10-29T09:52:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T13:52:32","slug":"lawyers-spar-over-possibility-of-workers-compensation-for-teacher-who-was-shot-by-6-year-old","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawyers-spar-over-possibility-of-workers-compensation-for-teacher-who-was-shot-by-6-year-old\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawyers debate workers&#8217; comp for teacher shot by 6-year-old."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flawyers-spar-over-possibility-of-workers-compensation-for-teacher-who-was-shot-by-6-year-old%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2083056&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Virginia Teacher\u2064 Shot by\u2063 6-Year-Old\u2062 Student \u200dFights for Compensation<\/h2>\n<p>In a dramatic courtroom battle in Newport News,\u200b Virginia, lawyers \u2063clashed over whether a teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old \u200dstudent should receive only \u200bworkers&#8217; compensation for her injuries. Abby Zwerner, a\u200d former first-grade teacher, is\u200d suing Newport News Public Schools \u2063for $40 million, alleging gross negligence by school administrators. However, the school board is attempting to block the lawsuit, arguing that\u2062 Zwerner&#8217;s injuries \u200dfall under workers&#8217; compensation.<\/p>\n<p>Zwerner spent\u200b nearly two weeks\u200c in \u2062the\u200d hospital and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/8-year-old-paralyzed-in-july-4-mass-shooing-can-only-see-family-once-per-week-due-to-covid-rules\/\" title=\"8-Year-Old Paralyzed in July 4 Mass Shooing Can Only See Family Once Per Week Due to COVID Rules\">underwent multiple surgeries<\/a> after being struck by a bullet in her hand and chest. Workers&#8217; \u2063compensation would provide her with up to 10 years&#8217; \u200bpay and lifetime medical benefits \u200cfor her physical and psychological\u200d injuries.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/maine-officials-give-updates-on-mass-shooting-suspect-and-manhunt-5518340?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Maine Officials \u200cGive Updates on Mass Shooting Suspect and Manhunt<\/h3>\n<p>      <\/a><\/p>\n<p>10\/27\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/volunteer-youth-bowling-coach-and-hero-bar-manager-are-among-maine-shooting-victims-5518153?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Volunteer Youth Bowling Coach and &#8216;Hero&#8217; \u200cBar Manager Are \u2063Among Maine Shooting Victims<\/h3>\n<p>      <\/a><\/p>\n<p>10\/27\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Zwerner, with her left arm supported by a sling and her left hand wrapped in\u200c a bandage, attended the hearing before the\u200c judge. Her attorney, Kevin Biniazan, argued that Zwerner&#8217;s lawsuit should proceed to trial because no first-grade\u2063 teacher expects to be shot at work.<\/p>\n<p>However, Anne Lahren, an attorney for the school board, contended that\u2064 the \u2064incident\u200b falls under workers&#8217; compensation since Zwerner was working as a teacher at the time. Lahren added that Zwerner&#8217;s \u2062lawsuit revolves around allegations of negligence \u2064in her workplace, which are covered by the law.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew Hoffman, the circuit court judge, will make a\u200d ruling on the matter within the \u200cnext week. He must decide whether Zwerner&#8217;s allegations can proceed in \u200bcourt \u2063or\u200c if they should be addressed by\u200c the workers&#8217; compensation\u2064 commission.<\/p>\n<p>After the hearing,\u200d Zwerner stood\u2062 with \u200cher attorneys\u200d outside the courtroom, \u2063declining to answer\u200d questions from\u2063 reporters. \u200dHer attorney, \u200cBiniazan, explained that the \u2064situation was overwhelming for her and asked for understanding.<\/p>\n<p>Zwerner was shot by one\u2064 of her students at Richneck Elementary School in\u2064 January. She \u200bmanaged to evacuate the rest of the\u2063 children before collapsing in the school&#8217;s office. Zwerner claims that\u200d administrators ignored multiple \u2064warnings \u2064about \u2063the student having a gun and dismissed ongoing concerns about his behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Legal experts believe that Zwerner&#8217;s\u200b lawsuit faces an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/totally-inaccurate-key-biden-promise-jeopardized-by-fcc-maps\/\" title=\"\u2018Totally Inaccurate\u2019: Key Biden Promise Jeopardized By FCC Maps\">uphill battle due<\/a>\u2062 to Virginia&#8217;s\u200c strict workers&#8217; \u200ccompensation law,\u2062 which covers\u2063 allegations of negligence.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the mother of\u200c the 6-year-old boy who shot \u200bZwerner is awaiting sentencing for felony child neglect. Deja Taylor&#8217;s sentencing was postponed \u200buntil December at the\u2063 request of both \u200dthe defense and\u2064 prosecutors.<\/p>\n<p>Taylor faces up to five years\u2064 in prison after pleading guilty, although prosecutors will recommend\u2062 a six-month\u200d sentence\u2063 as part of a plea deal. \u2064She \u2064has also pleaded guilty to using marijuana while owning a gun, which is illegal under U.S. law, and will be \u2063sentenced in federal court next month.<\/p>\n<p>The shocking \u2063incident\u200d serves as a reminder of\u200b the \u200ddangers \u2063faced by teachers and the need for comprehensive\u2062 safety measures in schools.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>  Abby Zwerner, (R), \u200dleaves after a hearing for a civil lawsuit she filed against the Newport\u200d News Public Schools,\u200c in Newport News,\u200d Va., on\u200d Oct. 27, 2023. (Billy \u200dSchuerman\/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>  Deja Taylor arrives at federal court in Virginia Beach, Va.,\u200c on June 12, 2023.(Stephen M. Katz\/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>By Ben Finley<\/em>  <\/p>\n<h2> What\u200c responsibilities\u200d do schools have in ensuring the safety of their staff and students?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Her lawyer outside the\u200d courthouse, expressing her frustration with the school board&#8217;s attempt to\u2062 block her lawsuit. She stated, &#8220;I never imagined that I would be shot by\u2062 a 6-year-old student while \u200dteaching in a classroom. This \u2063incident\u200d has left me with physical and\u200d emotional scars, and I believe that\u200d the school should be held\u200d accountable for their negligence.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Zwerner&#8217;s case has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnns-jim-acosta-admits-to-media-bias-against-the-president\/\" title=\"CNN\u2019S Jim Acosta admits to media bias against the President\">attracted national attention<\/a>, raising important questions about the responsibilities of schools in ensuring the safety of their staff\u200b and\u2062 students. While no one expects a 6-year-old child to possess a firearm, some argue \u2063that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/outraged-oxford-parents-demand-answers-after-deadly-shooting\/\" title=\"Outraged Oxford Parents Demand Answers After Deadly Shooting\">proper security measures<\/a>\u2064 and staff training could \u2063have prevented this tragic incident.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 debate over whether Zwerner should\u200b receive compensation through workers&#8217; compensation or pursue a civil lawsuit has \u200balso become a point of contention. Supporters argue that workers&#8217; compensation does not adequately address the extent of Zwerner&#8217;s injuries and the trauma\u200d she has experienced. They believe that a civil\u2064 lawsuit \u2064would not only provide Zwerner with the financial support she needs for medical treatment and rehabilitation but also hold the school accountable for their negligence.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, opponents\u2062 argue that\u200c workers&#8217; compensation is the appropriate avenue for addressing workplace injuries, regardless of the \u200bcircumstances. They contend \u200cthat the law \u200cshould treat Zwerner&#8217;s case like\u200b any other work-related injury \u200dand provide her with the benefits she is entitled\u2064 to under workers&#8217; compensation.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200boutcome\u200b of this case will have significant implications for both Zwerner \u200band the broader discussion on school safety. \u200bIf the judge allows the lawsuit to proceed, it could set a precedent\u2064 for other teachers who have suffered harm\u200c due to negligence.\u200d However, if he rules in favor of the school board,\u200b it may limit the legal options available to educators \u2062in similar situations.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless \u200dof \u200bthe court&#8217;s decision, it is\u200d clear that more needs to be done \u2062to ensure the\u2062 safety \u200dof teachers and students in schools. This incident serves as a\u2064 wake-up call\u2064 to reevaluate \u2064security measures, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawyers-spar-over-possibility-of-workers-compensation-for-teacher-who-was-shot-by-6-year-old\/\" title=\"Lawyers debate workers' comp for teacher shot by 6-year-old.\">implement effective training \u200cprograms<\/a>, and provide support to those who have experienced trauma in the workplace.<\/p>\n<p>In the upcoming week, all eyes will be on the judge&#8217;s ruling in this high-profile case. The \u200bdecision will not only determine Zwerner&#8217;s personal path to justice but also shed \u2063light on the\u2063 legal rights and protections for educators in the United States.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a Virginia courtroom, lawyers debated whether a teacher shot by her 6-year-old student should receive only workers&#8217; compensation for her injuries. Abby Zwerner is suing Newport News Public Schools for $40 million, claiming gross negligence. The school board is opposing her claim.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2083057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2083056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2083056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2083056"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2083056\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2083057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2083056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2083056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2083056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}