‘WITHOUT CAUSE’

Virginia Superintendent Voted Out Amid Furor Over Shooting By 6-Year-Old

Despite an uproar following the shooting, the Newport News School Board maintains that Dr. George Parker III’s termination happened “without cause.”

The Newport News School Board voted Wednesday to oust its superintendent, Dr. George Parker III, amid furor over an incident in which a 6-year-old in the district brought a gun to school and shot their teacher, leaving her hospitalized. The 5-1 vote by the board comes hours after lawyers for the teacher, 25-year-old Abigail Zwerner, claimed that Richneck Elementary School and district officials dismissed three warnings from staff and students that the pupil in question was armed and potentially dangerous. Despite the revelations, the board maintains that the termination happened “without cause.” “It is important that we state that this decision was made without cause, cause being defined in his previous contract, as Dr. Parker is a capable division leader who served Newport News for nearly five years through some extremely challenging circumstances,” school board Chairwoman Dr. Lisa Surles-Law told reporters following the vote. Richneck Elementary’s assistant principal, Dr. Ebony Parker, also resigned Wednesday, according to the New York Post.