Dangerous Work is not just Police or Fireman Anymore
School Officials' Neglect Leads to $40M Lawsuit After Teacher Shot by 6-Year-Old"
This School Tragedy That Could Have Been Prevented:
Via NBCNEWS
In a harrowing incident, a Virginia teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Abigail Zwerner, 25, has filed a $40 million lawsuit against school officials, accusing them of repeatedly ignoring warnings about the troubled youngster's possession of a gun. This tragic event raises serious questions about school safety and accountability.
The young student, enrolled in first grade at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, had a history of random violence. The lawsuit filed by Zwerner highlights multiple reports of a firearm being present on school property and in possession of the young child. The same student was suspended for smashing Zwerner's phone two days before the shooting.
Despite these alarming reports and the student's suspension, school officials did not take any effective action to address the issue. The lawsuit alleges that they had been aware of the firearm on school property and the student's potential for violence but chose to ignore the warnings. This lack of action has left the victim with lasting physical and emotional scars.
The $40 million lawsuit filed by Zwerner serves as a wake-up call for schools to take the issue of safety more seriously. As parents, educators, and concerned citizens, we must demand accountability from school officials and advocate for policies that ensure a safe learning environment for our children.
The number of school shootings reached its highest number in two decades during the 2020-21 school year, according to a federal report last June. A week ago, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, saw six people, including a substitute teacher and three young children, killed by a 28-year-old former student armed with two AR-style weapons and a handgun.
Immigrant Hotel Worker Takes Legal Action Against NYC Following Assault by Migrant
The safety of migrant hotels has come under scrutiny as a recent lawsuit highlights the potential dangers faced by the hardworking immigrants employed there.
Hatixhe Xhani, a 65-year-old Albanian immigrant and cleaning worker, claims she was assaulted by a female migrant staying at the NYMA hotel, located at 6 West 32nd Street near the Empire State Building. Xhani filed a negligence suit last month against New York City and the Department of Homeless Services/Social Services, seeking justice for the incident.
In a conversation with The Post, the grandmother of four expressed her confusion and sadness over the situation, stating, "I treat all people with respect. I am grateful for my job and work hard every day. I don't understand how someone can do this to another person."
The lawsuit, along with a criminal complaint submitted by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, accuses migrant Alexandra Leal-Gimenez of assaulting Xhani. Leal-Gimenez, who was staying at the NYMA hotel with her male partner, allegedly slapped Xhani in the face in the hotel lobby on February 24.
Xhani's attorney, John Ciafone, mentioned that Leal-Gimenez and her partner had previously accused Xhani of stealing a necklace while she was vacuuming their hotel room. Xhani firmly denied the accusation.
Xhani, a resident of Astoria, immigrated to the United States from Albania in 1987 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1993.
Describing his client, Ciafone told The Post, "My client is a hardworking, immigrant, senior citizen, union member, success story. She was threatened, assaulted, and battered while performing her job duties to support her family."
He added, "As we continuously witness, our city rewards bad actors at the expense of the good and hardworking people who pay taxes for a designed political fiasco. I think the defendant should be deported."
Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency over the city’s migrant crisis in October 2022 — and city officials have processed 51,000 migrants since last spring, with 31,100-plus living in at least 101 emergency shelters at the cost of $4.6 million a day.
According to the mayor, the total tab for taxpayers is projected to reach $4.2 billion by the middle of next year.