VA: Judge rules teacher shot by student can sue school district for $40 million – National & International News – FRI 3Nov2023

Judge rules teacher shot by student can sue school district for $40 million.

Democrats having change of heart on backing Israel’s siege of Gaza.

NATIONAL NEWS

Judge rules teacher shot by student can sue school district for $40 million

A court has ruled that the Newport News, VA, teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by a 6-year-old student back in January may proceed with a $40 million lawsuit against the school district. First-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, 25, has accused the school district of negligence for failing to prevent the shooting despite multiple warnings.

A filing by Zwerner’s attorney earlier this year detailed several instances of administrators failing to act when warned both by students and faculty that the boy had a gun in his possession. Instead of removing the boy from school or searching his person to confiscate the weapon, one administrator reportedly said to a concerned teacher that they would just “ride it out” until the end of the school day. Zwerner’s filing also described previous instances of previous violent behavior by the young boy at the school.

The boy has not been charged, but his mother is facing felony gun violations and child endangerment charges.

Hazards of the job

The school district had previously attempted the block Zwerner’s suit, arguing that she should only be eligible to make a worker’s compensation claim.  Newport News Circuit Court Judge Matthew Hoffman disagreed. Hoffman ruled that Zwerner’s injuries “did not arise out of her employment” and therefore did not “fall within the exclusive provisions of workers’ compensation coverage”. He also wrote that “The danger of being shot by a student is not one that is peculiar or unique to the job of a first-grade teacher”.

The Jan. 6 incident sparked a nationwide conversation among teachers who identified with Zwerner’s plight. Many teachers spoke out on social media saying that they had been made to feel unsafe by students, only to have their concerns downplayed or dismissed by administrators. If Zwerner prevails in her suit, it may force school districts across the country to re-evaluate how they deal with student violence towards teachers.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Democrats having change of heart on backing Israel’s siege of Gaza

On October 10, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred to demands for a ceasefire by several House Democrats (including Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib) “repugnant” and “disgraceful”. Days later, the State Department reportedly issued a memo warning its diplomats not to use the phrases, “de-escalation/ceasefire,” “end to violence/bloodshed” or “restoring calm”, in reference to the situation in Israel. 

Weeks later, some Democrats on the national stage have at least begun to soften their support for the siege. Today in Tel Aviv, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Israel to show more restraint in its bombing campaign in Gaza. Thirteen Democratic lawmakers also signed onto a letter calling for a “humanitarian pause”. This is a far cry from a call for a ceasefire, but still more than was politically acceptable for most of last month. Biden himself recently said the thought there should be “a pause” in fighting, both to allow for the release of about 240 hostages held by Hamas and to allow much-needed aid into Gaza. 

Several factors have likely influenced the change in course. Polling has shown that most Americans (66%) across the political spectrum favor a ceasefire. A poll last week also showed that Biden’s support among Democratic voters had dropped by 11 points over his support for Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Support for Biden and Democrats among Arab-Americans, a small but key demographic in several swing states, has also dropped below 17%. 

The tipping point came earlier this week when Israel bombed a crowded refugee camp in Gaza. The first strike killed at least 50 people and injured another 150. It’s unclear at this point how many were killed in the IDF’s subsequent strikes on the camp. Following the first strike, an IDF spokesperson stunned the normally unflappable Wolf Blitzer by justifying the decision to bomb the camp, saying they had killed one Hamas militant. 

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