Later in the day, the school board voted to relieve district superintendent George Parker III of his duties effective Feb. 1 as part of a separation agreement and severance package.
“On that day, over the course of a few hours, three different times — three times — school administration was warned by concerned teachers and employees that the boy had a gun on him at the school and was threatening people.
She said that Zwerner first went to an administrator at around 11:15 a.m. on the day of the shooting and said the boy had threatened to beat up another child, but no action was taken.
“The administrator downplayed the report from the teacher and the possibility of a gun, saying — and I quote — ‘Well, he has little pockets,’ ” Toscano said.
When another employee who had heard the boy might have a gun asked an administrator to search the boy, he was turned down, Toscano said.
“He was told to wait the situation out because the school day was almost over,” she said.
Cindy Connell, a middle school teacher in Newport News, called the events described by Toscano “beyond horrifying.”. »