New leadership appointed at Richneck Elementary after shooting

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WWBT) - Richneck Elementary School is now under new leadership. Newport News Public Schools appointed a new principal and vice-principal.

According to WAVY, the school division announced Jacky Barber will serve as principal, and Rhonda Chambers-Harmon is set to serve as assistant principal. Both currently work as administrators at different schools in the division.

They’re expected to start at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.

This change comes after the former administrators separated from the school after a six-year-old shot his first-grade teacher, Abby Zwerner.

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Several people in school leadership left their positions following the shooting amid allegations that at least one Richneck administrator was warned that the child had a gun but failed to act.

Dr. George Parker was terminated from his position as superintendent in January after a school board vote. Briana Foster, Richneck’s former principal, works for the school division. However, former assistant principal Ebony Parker resigned shortly after the shooting.

Zwerner filed a $40 million lawsuit against the three former administrators.