School downplayed warnings before 6-year-old shot teacher, staffers say

THE TEACHER HAD REPEATEDLY ASKED SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FOR HELP WITH THE TROUBLED STUDENT. >> Reporter: THIS MORNING THERE ARE NEW QUESTIONS SURROUNDING RICHNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITH STAFFERS ALLEGING THAT THE VIRGINIA SCHOOL MAY HAVE DOWNPLAYED MULTIPLE WARNINGS ABOUT THE 6-YEAR-OLD WHO SHOT HIGHS TEACHER, ABBY ZWERNER, INSIDE A CLASSROOM THIS MONTH. ACCORDING TO SCREENSHOTS OF A CONVERSATION BETWEEN SCHOOL EMPLOYEES AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OBTAINED BY THE WASH”THE WASHING POST” BUT NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED BY NBC NEWS SHE RAISED ALARMS AND SOUGHT ASSISTANCE. STAFFERS BRIGHTWRITING SHE HAD A FOR HELP SEVERAL TIMES, TWO HOURS PRIOR AND ALL YEAR. IT SAYS THE

MESSAGES DO NOT DETAIL WHAT SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE SHE SOUGHT OR WHOM SHE DIRECTED HER REQUESTS. IN A SEPARATE MESSAGE OBTAINED BY “THE POST” BUT NOT SEEN BY NBC NEWS A RICHNECK TEACHER ALSO SAYS THAT SCHOOL OFFICIALS WAIVED AWAY GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE 6-YEAR-OLD’S CONDUCT. ONE INCIDENT HE ALLEGEDLY WROTE A NOTE TELLING A TEACHER HE HATED HER AND WANTED TO LIGHT HER ON FIRE AND WATCH HER DIE. THEY TOLD OFFICIALS ABOUT THE NOTE BUT WAS ALLEGEDLY TOLD TO DROP THE MATTER. THE STUDENT WASN’T GETTING THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES HE NEEDED AND SOMETIMES WANDERED THE SCHOOL UNSUPERVISED. THE BOY’S

FAMILY SPEAKING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME THURSDAY SAYING IN A STATEMENT THAT THEIR SON SUFFERS FROM AN ACUTE DISABILITY AND WAS UNDER A CARE PLAN THAT INCLUDED HIS MOTHER OR FATHER ATTENDING SCHOOL WITH HIM AND ACCOMPANYING HIM TO CLASS

EVERY DAY. THE WEEK OF THE SHOOTING THEY SAY WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY WERE NOT WITH HIM IN CLASS, ADDING, WE WILL REGRET OUR ABSENCE ON THIS DAY THE REST OF OUR LIVES. THE NEW ALLEGATIONS AGAINST RICHNECK ECHOING THE CONCERNS OF FRUSTRATED TEACHERS AND PARENTS AT A PACKED SCHOOL BOARD MEETING LAST WEEK. >> I ASKED FOR

HELP AND WAS GIVEN NONE. AT BOTH THE SCHOOL AND AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL. I CRIED DAILY. >> LISTEN TO YOUR TEACHERS HAD WHEN THIS WHEN THEY HAVE CONCERNS PLEASE LISTEN TO THEM. >> Reporter: NBC NEWS REACHED OUT TO ABBY ZWERNER, THE BOY’S FAMILY AND THE SCHOOL FOR COMMENT BUT WE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. THE WASHINGTON POST SAYS A SCHOOL DISTRICT SPOKESPERSON DECLINED TO SHARE INFORMATION THE BOY’S EDUCATION RECORDS. THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS SAID THAT THEY ARE WORKING ONNISM PROVING