Forget School Shooters—Your Kid’s Classmate Might Be the Real Threat
This article was originally published on ThisIsTopeka.com on November 6, 2025. It has been republished with permission. Read the original article here.
The Hidden Crisis in Classrooms: Understanding Teacher Safety and Student Behavior in the Wake of the Abby Zwerner Trial
The trial of Abby Zwerner, the Virginia elementary teacher who was shot by a six-year-old student in January 2023, has brought national attention to the vulnerabilities teachers face daily. Zwerner survived the incident but suffered life-altering injuries, and while the child’s family ultimately pleaded guilty to child neglect in 2024, the deeper systemic failures exposed in the case point to a profound betrayal of trust within the school administration.
The assistant principal, Dr. Ebony Parker, was informed multiple times by staff about the student’s concerning behavior and the possibility of him possessing a weapon, yet she failed to act. This student had a well-documented history of severe violent behavior, including choking a teacher, making explicit threats to students and staff, and multiple prior suspensions for violent outbursts. No search was conducted, no further intervention was initiated, and the student with a gun remained in the classroom, administrative neglect that turned warnings into tragedy.
Protecting one student’s feelings while turning a blind eye to the safety of all other students and staff is horrific. While extreme, the Zwerner case exposes a wider crisis in public education: teachers manage escalating violence with little protection or support. The hard truth is that many parents live in fear of an outside shooter coming into their child’s school, oblivious to the student violence already erupting inside classrooms every day.
Public education must provide Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to all under IDEA and Section 504. Noble in theory, but elementary schools lack programs for severe behavior issues and violent students. Kids “flip their lid,” an amygdala hijack from emotional overload, overwork-avoidance, attention-seeking, or unseen triggers. Teachers lucky enough to have supportive administration who enforce real consequences for unsafe acts have removal plans: calm-down spaces, parent calls, or suspensions. Safety is the number one priority.
Less fortunate teachers are told to handle big behaviors in the classroom, even as administrators push to keep the number of referrals and suspensions low to meet district initiatives on equity and school climate data. Their plan? Unsafe students return in minutes with treats or prizes; a lollipop is used as a de-escalation tool. The unintended message is that bad behavior is rewarded with happy interactions and candy. Behaviors worsen, no matter the teacher’s toolkit of positive reinforcement, proximity, or visuals. This pressure to minimize official incidents leads to rampant underreporting of violent and aggressive acts. Teachers fear backlash or are discouraged from filing police reports in cases of assault and injury.
The data for assault on teachers is grim. A 2022 American Psychological Association survey found 44% of teachers were physically attacked by students at least once, many repeatedly. The National Center for Education Statistics reported 10% were threatened with injury, 6% were attacked. National Education Association (2023): over 40% of teachers were assaulted more than once, mostly by students who have a history of aggressive behaviors. Underreporting is rampant due to fear of backlash or pressure to downplay. Restraint laws limit options, and legal paths narrow when identified disabilities are factored in.
Most schools and districts in the United States employ Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for behavior. Tier 1: school-wide expectations most students follow, needing only occasional reminders typical of kids. Tier 2: students requiring frequent redirects; they may fidget, distract peers, skip work, or occasionally touch others a few times weekly. Tier 3: significant issues with impulsivity and poor self-control, little awareness of impact on others. These students act violently toward peers and staff, throw furniture, fight often, destroy rooms, make threats, or bring weapons. Unless you’re in teacher circles or follow educator social media, you likely miss how routinely Tier 3 students escalate and terrorize classrooms. Schools respond with increased interventions, but support thins out fast at higher tiers because there is no one available to implement the new plan.
Should we help these kids? I answer with an emphatic and resounding yes. Unfortunately, trauma and mental health are to blame. Children who witness and experience abuse are far more likely to act out. Districts hire behavior interventionists, but the need is far greater than their availability. Mental health adds another under-resourced layer. Child therapy waitlists run months, with fewer than 10,000 board-certified child psychiatrists for 73 million kids. School guidance counselors offer check-ins, but they aren’t therapists, and they are responsible for the needs of 400-500 students. These root causes warrant deeper conversations, but they fuel daily escalations.
Here’s a sad dose of reality: teachers lose up to half of their instructional time on redirecting student behavior. A 2021 Journal of School Psychology study showed chronic disruptions cut learning by 20-50%. The CDC says 20 minutes of recess are the minimum for elementary students. Even for kids without behavior issues, this is a recipe for disaster. I’ve said this before, and I will say it again: kids need more recess. They need space and time to move their bodies and unwind. Teachers need a mental break in between instructional times so they can reset and give their best in the classroom.
Do you want to know why teachers are leaving the job they loved? Student behavior and stress. NEA: 55% considered quitting in 2022 over unmanageable behaviors and stress, up from 34% pre-pandemic. Teachers are underpaid and unsupported, working in classrooms that sometimes feel like war zones. The stress leading to burnout is unsustainable. Inexperienced new hires and subs take over in their place without classroom management skills.
The Zwerner trial demands action. Invest in behavior specialists, trauma training, mental health pipelines, and policies balancing inclusion with teacher safety. Until then, classrooms stay battlegrounds. Communities must push change, educating every child can’t cost the lives, safety, and sanity of those who teach them. Are you a teacher who has experienced violence in your classroom without support? Are you a parent whose child has fallen victim to a classmate? We’d love to hear your stories.
Sources:
Zwerner v. Newport News School Board, trial coverage
U.S. Department of Education, Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under Section 504
Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2011), The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind, Bantam Books
American Psychological Association (2022), APA Teacher Well-Being Survey
National Center for Education Statistics (2020), School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), 2019-2020
National Education Association (2023), Educator Quality of Work Life Survey
National Center on Intensive Intervention, Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), U.S. Department of Education
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Workforce Issues
Pas, E. T., et al. (2021), Chronic classroom disruption and student achievement, Journal of School Psychology, 85, 1-15
National Education Association (2022), Poll on Educator Intent to Leave
ThisIsTopeka.com, original publication, November 6, 2025
