NBC News · Former Virginia school official on trial after 6-year-old shot teacher in 2023

1. 1. Former assistant principal Ebony Parker is on trial for eight felony counts of child abuse and neglect after a 6-year-old student shot his teacher in 2023.
2. 2. Parker's defense team is seeking to exclude teachers and first responders from the jury, arguing they may sympathize with the victim.
3. 3. If convicted, Parker faces up to 40 years in prison, far more severe than the $10 million civil judgment against her, which was paid by an insurance pool.
4. 4. This case expands criminal culpability for school shootings beyond the shooter to school officials, following precedents like the Crumbley parents in Michigan.
5. 5. The criminal standard of 'reckless disregard for human life' is very high, requiring proof that Parker willfully ignored a foreseeable risk of death.
6. 6. The civil trial occurred before the criminal trial, an unusual sequence that gave prosecutors a preview of the defense's arguments and testimony.
7. 7. The criminal trial will focus on the timeline of events and whether Parker was warned about the gun, not on the teacher's damages.