VA - 6-YEAR-OLD in custody after shooting teacher, Newport News, Jan 2023 *mom charged* #2

[pol100gk]

That's really regrettable for all sorts of reasons but the next question, naturally, has to be what the school can do in circumstances like this to protect the teachers and fellow students from disrupted learning and danger? There are some undiagnosed kids who sink into the background which is really sad in itself. But those that present a challenge or danger to the classroom as a result - here others are impacted that the school has a duty of care toward.
That's not to sideline or belittle the challenges of the kids whose parents refuse testing but if it's the parents' wishes, that limits what others can do. But when the consequences of that refusal impact others and their right to learn and a safe environment, what then? That is really the question here.

And that leads to another point. If the parent(s) of this little boy refused testing (we don't know that but are guessing), but they then had an arrangement with the school to accompany the child to school to manage his behavior, does that not constitute an acknowledgement by both parties, school and parent(s), that the child was in need of special services? If that arrangement was 'unusual', was it even legal? There might be another liability issue here.

 

[mooseandcoffee]

That's really regrettable for all sorts of reasons but the next question, naturally, has to be what the school can do in circumstances like this to protect the teachers and fellow students from disrupted learning and danger? There are some undiagnosed kids who sink into the background which is really sad in itself. But those that present a challenge or danger to the classroom as a result - here others are impacted that the school has a duty of care toward.
That's not to sideline or belittle the challenges of the kids whose parents refuse testing but if it's the parents' wishes, that limits what others can do. But when the consequences of that refusal impact others and their right to learn and a safe environment, what then? That is really the question here.

And that leads to another point. If the parent(s) of this little boy refused testing (we don't know that but are guessing), but they then had an arrangement with the school to accompany the child to school to manage his behavior, does that not constitute an acknowledgement by both parties, school and parent(s), that the child was in need of special services? If that arrangement was 'unusual', was it even legal? There might be another liability issue here.

I can't speak to the legalities, but I wouldn't necessarily want this kiddo's parents in my classroom along with him. That opens up a whole other world of problems. I wonder if having the parents there was simply to get them to see what the behavior looked like at school?

As to protecting other children, there is a fallacy in thinking that getting special education services means that the problem is solved. Kids with disabilities have a right to be in their least restrictive environment in school and won't be pulled completely out of mainstream classrooms because of a diagnosis. However, having that diagnosis and an IEP does mean that services can be provided and a plan for behavior modification can be put in place.

In my opinion (as a special education teacher AND a parent of a child with autism), that IEP actually protects everyone. There has to be a plan put in place to address academics and behavior if needed. The actual behavior plans are very specific and will include times in and out of the classroom, circumstances for removal, etc. It also protects the child from being expelled based on behaviors or actions that are due to the disability. There are extra layers of discussions, plans and eventually a hearing if a child continues to have behaviors that typically would result in suspensions or expulsions.

Without the IEP or 504 Plan, the child would go through the typical process for consequences of behavior. I don't know what has been done about his behavior in the past.

I also would be very interested in seeing the results of an evaluation. Not all kids who misbehave or show antisocial types of behavior have disabilities.

 

[cujenn81]

Without the IEP or 504 Plan, the child would go through the typical process for consequences of behavior. I don't know what has been done about his behavior in the past.

I also would be very interested in seeing the results of an evaluation. Not all kids who misbehave or show antisocial types of behavior have disabilities.

I think the following is the extent of what has been made public about his past behavior and how it was handled.

Lawsuit filed by Richneck teacher Abby Zwerner includes her detailed account of the day she was shot

A lawsuit filed by Abby Zwerner, the Richneck Elementary teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student, reveals past concerns about the student’s behavior

www.wtkr.com

Kindergarten (2021-2022 school year): strangled and choked a teacher leading to his temporary removal from Richneck Elementary

Kindergarten (2021-2022 school year): pulled up a female student’s dress after she fell on the playground and touched her inappropriately until a teacher stopped him; student was removed from Richneck and sent to Denbigh Early Childhood Center during the 2021-2022 school year for his violent behavior

First Grade (2022-2023 school year): student was allowed to return to Richneck to attend first grade

Fall 2022: after the student allegedly chased his peers around the playground with a belt and tried to whip them, he was placed on a modified schedule; the schedule entailed one of his parents accompanying him to school during the day

(The documents also state that his parents disagreed with him being placed in special education, where he would be with other children with behavioral issues.)

January 4, 2023: the student took Zwerner’s cell phone and slammed it on the ground so hard that it shattered; he was suspended for one day

January 6, 2023: the student shot Abby

Teachers regularly expressed concerns about the student to the administration, according to court documents. The lawsuit also says that oftentimes, when the student was taken to the office for his behavior, he would shortly return to the classroom with some type of a reward, like a piece of candy.

 

[MyBelle]

I can't speak to the legalities, but I wouldn't necessarily want this kiddo's parents in my classroom along with him. That opens up a whole other world of problems. I wonder if having the parents there was simply to get them to see what the behavior looked like at school?

As to protecting other children, there is a fallacy in thinking that getting special education services means that the problem is solved. Kids with disabilities have a right to be in their least restrictive environment in school and won't be pulled completely out of mainstream classrooms because of a diagnosis. However, having that diagnosis and an IEP does mean that services can be provided and a plan for behavior modification can be put in place.

In my opinion (as a special education teacher AND a parent of a child with autism), that IEP actually protects everyone. There has to be a plan put in place to address academics and behavior if needed. The actual behavior plans are very specific and will include times in and out of the classroom, circumstances for removal, etc. It also protects the child from being expelled based on behaviors or actions that are due to the disability. There are extra layers of discussions, plans and eventually a hearing if a child continues to have behaviors that typically would result in suspensions or expulsions.

Without the IEP or 504 Plan, the child would go through the typical process for consequences of behavior. I don't know what has been done about his behavior in the past.

I also would be very interested in seeing the results of an evaluation. Not all kids who misbehave or show antisocial types of behavior have disabilities.

In our school district, students with behavioral problems are not placed in a general classroom. They spend their school days in special education classrooms with special education teachers.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

I think the following is the extent of what has been made public about his past behavior and how it was handled.

Lawsuit filed by Richneck teacher Abby Zwerner includes her detailed account of the day she was shot

A lawsuit filed by Abby Zwerner, the Richneck Elementary teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student, reveals past concerns about the student’s behavior

www.wtkr.com

Kindergarten (2021-2022 school year): strangled and choked a teacher leading to his temporary removal from Richneck Elementary

Kindergarten (2021-2022 school year): pulled up a female student’s dress after she fell on the playground and touched her inappropriately until a teacher stopped him; student was removed from Richneck and sent to Denbigh Early Childhood Center during the 2021-2022 school year for his violent behavior

First Grade (2022-2023 school year): student was allowed to return to Richneck to attend first grade

Fall 2022: after the student allegedly chased his peers around the playground with a belt and tried to whip them, he was placed on a modified schedule; the schedule entailed one of his parents accompanying him to school during the day

(The documents also state that his parents disagreed with him being placed in special education, where he would be with other children with behavioral issues.)

January 4, 2023: the student took Zwerner’s cell phone and slammed it on the ground so hard that it shattered; he was suspended for one day

January 6, 2023: the student shot Abby

Teachers regularly expressed concerns about the student to the administration, according to court documents. The lawsuit also says that oftentimes, when the student was taken to the office for his behavior, he would shortly return to the classroom with some type of a reward, like a piece of candy.

A piece of candy? Seriously? The administration of that school district sounds totally incompetent.

If one of my kids acted up in school, the kid was sent to the office and we would be called to come to chat with the vice principal and pick up the kid.

JMO

 

[sds71]

Deja Taylor, the mother of the student that shot a Newport News teacher in January, is facing federal gun and drug charges:

Federal documents outline how Deja Taylor is accused of knowing she was an unlawful user of marijuana when she possessed and purchased a gun from a gun shop in Grafton, Virginia.

The purchase of the gun took place on or about July 19, 2022, according to court records.

She is also accused of filing false information on the gun paperwork.

Marijuana is legal in Virginia, but not federally legal.

When you buy a gun, you are asked if you use illegal substances including marijuana on the required documents.

News 3 met up with her attorney, Jimmy Ellenson.

He says they plan to plead guilty to the charges.

https://wtkr3.co/3IVFpJz

 

[cujenn81]

A piece of candy? Seriously? The administration of that school district sounds totally incompetent.

If one of my kids acted up in school, the kid was sent to the office and we would be called to come to chat with the vice principal and pick up the kid.

JMO

Their response to his behavior certainly seems unorthodox, to say the least. I was once given overnight suspension for leaving my ID badge at home three times.

(Overnight suspension meant that a parent conference with the principal was required before I could return to class the next day.)

 

[Ontario Mom]

Deja Taylor, the mother of the student that shot a Newport News teacher in January, is facing federal gun and drug charges:

Federal documents outline how Deja Taylor is accused of knowing she was an unlawful user of marijuana when she possessed and purchased a gun from a gun shop in Grafton, Virginia.

The purchase of the gun took place on or about July 19, 2022, according to court records.

She is also accused of filing false information on the gun paperwork.

Marijuana is legal in Virginia, but not federally legal.

When you buy a gun, you are asked if you use illegal substances including marijuana on the required documents.

News 3 met up with her attorney, Jimmy Ellenson.

He says they plan to plead guilty to the charges.

https://wtkr3.co/3IVFpJz

Funny, I seem to recall it being kind of a big deal that she LEGALLY purchased the gun, and was all about practicing safe gun ownership, etc., blah and blah.

So she lied to get the gun, and lied on the paperwork. Hmm... I bet everyone's shocked.

 

[MyBelle]

Deja Taylor, the mother of the student that shot a Newport News teacher in January, is facing federal gun and drug charges:

Federal documents outline how Deja Taylor is accused of knowing she was an unlawful user of marijuana when she possessed and purchased a gun from a gun shop in Grafton, Virginia.

The purchase of the gun took place on or about July 19, 2022, according to court records.

She is also accused of filing false information on the gun paperwork.

Marijuana is legal in Virginia, but not federally legal.

When you buy a gun, you are asked if you use illegal substances including marijuana on the required documents.

News 3 met up with her attorney, Jimmy Ellenson.

He says they plan to plead guilty to the charges.

https://wtkr3.co/3IVFpJz

That's interesting! I've never considered that because I have never smoked weed.

I wonder if the mass shooters who purchased their guns "legally" also smoked weed.

JMO

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

A piece of candy? Seriously? The administration of that school district sounds totally incompetent.

If one of my kids acted up in school, the kid was sent to the office and we would be called to come to chat with the vice principal and pick up the kid.

JMO

The mollycoddling of this child is beyond belief! How and why did this family wield so much influence over school administration and staff? A child who continually displays unacceptable behavior in a classroom is "rewarded" with treats for his actions. How must the other children (and their parents) feel when they see that this child is not admonished for bad behavior? There is something going on here that just isn't right, and I can't quite put my finger on it.

I remember asking very early on in the case if this child had been placed in Ms. Zwerner's class because she was low on the totem poll and didn't have a lot of experience in the building. Perhaps administrators placed this child in her class to test her competence when other teachers indicated that they did not want him in their class. Based on her age, AZ was a second or third year teacher, at most, and probably hadn't been granted tenure. Was this a "test" by building administration to see if AZ should become tenured? Did the school's administration not like Ms. Zwerner for some reason? Why does it seem like school officials have been reluctant to offer compassion and support for a teacher who was shot by her first-grade student? The situation is truly baffling to me. JMO

 

[Doghairrules]

The mollycoddling of this child is beyond belief! How and why did this family wield so much influence over school administration and staff? A child who continually displays unacceptable behavior in a classroom is "rewarded" with treats for his actions. How must the other children (and their parents) feel when they see that this child is not admonished for bad behavior? There is something going on here that just isn't right, and I can't quite put my finger on it.

I remember asking very early on in the case if this child had been placed in Ms. Zwerner's class because she was low on the totem poll and didn't have a lot of experience in the building. Perhaps administrators placed this child in her class to test her competence when other teachers indicated that they did not want him in their class. Based on her age, AZ was a second or third year teacher, at most, and probably hadn't been granted tenure. Was this a "test" by building administration to see if AZ should become tenured? Did the school's administration not like Ms. Zwerner for some reason? Why does it seem like school officials have been reluctant to offer compassion and support for a teacher who was shot by her first-grade student? The situation is truly baffling to me. JMO

I cannot speak to the reasons that this child was put with this teacher, but I know that when my mother was a teacher, the new/young teachers got the students no one else wanted unless one of the more experienced teachers was willing to take them on. And my mom is now 92, so she has been retired for nearly 30 years.

I also work in the disability field and I have NEVER heard of a parent being required to attend school with their child. It seems like there would be some privacy issues for other students, doesn't it? And also did they do a background check on the parents before having them in the classroom?

 

[fred&edna]

Have any reporters asked why it took the AG 3 months to even file charges against this mother??

 

[chipwhitley]

It seems like it's a popular practice among administrators to offer candy to children who visit their office. It's sort of turned into a running "joke" among teachers.

So it doesn't surprise me one bit that this happened in this case. I am confused why this admin coddled him in such extreme ways, though.

 

[realanastasia]

It seems like it's a popular practice among administrators to offer candy to children who visit their office. It's sort of turned into a running "joke" among teachers.

So it doesn't surprise me one bit that this happened in this case. I am confused why this admin coddled him in such extreme ways, though.

Probably because they, too, were afraid of him.

 

[cuffem]

The mollycoddling of this child is beyond belief! How and why did this family wield so much influence over school administration and staff? A child who continually displays unacceptable behavior in a classroom is "rewarded" with treats for his actions. How must the other children (and their parents) feel when they see that this child is not admonished for bad behavior? There is something going on here that just isn't right, and I can't quite put my finger on it.

I remember asking very early on in the case if this child had been placed in Ms. Zwerner's class because she was low on the totem poll and didn't have a lot of experience in the building. Perhaps administrators placed this child in her class to test her competence when other teachers indicated that they did not want him in their class. Based on her age, AZ was a second or third year teacher, at most, and probably hadn't been granted tenure. Was this a "test" by building administration to see if AZ should become tenured? Did the school's administration not like Ms. Zwerner for some reason? Why does it seem like school officials have been reluctant to offer compassion and support for a teacher who was shot by her first-grade student? The situation is truly baffling to me. JMO

My guess is the school was afraid of being sued by the parents for violation of their child's rights somehow? The school most likely have been told by an attorney to not make a statement on the case or her injuries, for it could be viewed as taking responsibility for placing the child in her class, for not removing the child when his actions called for it. IMO.

I agree with your post. I am dumbfounded by the incompetence of the school regarding all the students and teachers safety.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Mother of 6-year-old who shot Virginia teacher charged with federal gun crimes

Deja Taylor was previously indicted on charges of felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child.

www.nbcnews.com

The mother of a 6-year-old who took a gun to his Virginia school and shot his teacher this year was charged Monday with federal gun crimes.

Deja Taylor, 25, was charged with two counts in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia: being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

She was previously indicted in April by a Newport News grand jury on charges of felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child, Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn said...

 

[sds71]

Gene Rossi, the lead attorney on Deja Taylor’s federal case, called this case a Shakespearean tragedy. “A perfect storm that has had terrible consequences. A vulnerable teacher whose life was almost taken, a boy six years of age and, a mother whose life will never be the same.”


Complaint:

https://www.wavy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/Redacted-Deja-Taylor.pdf

Federal gun charges filed against mother of 6-year-old who shot teacher in Newport News

The mother of the Richneck Elementary School student who police say shot his teacher in January is now facing federal gun charges.

www.wavy.com

 

[PrairieWind]

In our school district, students with behavioral problems are not placed in a general classroom. They spend their school days in special education classrooms with special education teachers.

JMO

That is probably not in compliance with federal law. I know, I know I know, that makes no sense. But even behavior kids, which would likely be on a 504 plan, have to be in a classroom as much as possible. The days of the trouble kids in different classrooms are over. now, often they are directed to separate schools, but that is voluntary. We need really readdress some of these laws, it is really a mess right now. A lot of this sort of relates back to "No Child Left Behind." Well meaning but tons of unintended consequences.

 

[MyBelle]

That is probably not in compliance with federal law. I know, I know I know, that makes no sense. But even behavior kids, which would likely be on a 504 plan, have to be in a classroom as much as possible. The days of the trouble kids in different classrooms are over. now, often they are directed to separate schools, but that is voluntary. We need really readdress some of these laws, it is really a mess right now. A lot of this sort of relates back to "No Child Left Behind." Well meaning but tons of unintended consequences.

In our district, there are classrooms for special education kids with behavioral problems and the teachers are trained to deal with them. Every school has a counselor and there are free community resources to help families deal with mental health, substance abuse, grief, bullying, etc. Been this way for decades and our high property taxes pay for it.

JMO

 

[Simply Southern]

It is not OSHA. I think this is being missed. But maybe it is irrelevant. Nothing is likely to be done that is really impactful. And that is whether it is OSHA or VOSHA.

Would this be considered a workplace injury? I would think the school would be required to report as a work place injury.