NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A multi-million dollar lawsuit has been filed against the Newport News School Division and the Department of Education, with the plaintiffs being two teachers who say their school didn't do enough to prevent the Heritage High School shooting in 2021.
While the suit hasn't been served just yet, we collected court documents, which explained why these educators have chosen to go to court.
12th grade teacher Michelle Webb and student teacher Leslie Turner have filed a 20 plus page lawsuit against the Newport News School Board and the Department of Education.
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Heritage High School shooting in Newport News leaves 2 teens injured
In it, Webb and Turner recounted the September 20, 2021, shooting, which left two students with gunshot wounds.
According to court documents, teachers Webb and Turner say they weren't shot, but they claim they did suffer physical injury and mental anguish from the chaos of it.
In the lawsuit, it says that following the sound of gunfire, Webb dove to the floor in a panic, hurting her legs.
Almost two years later, she says the fall severely impaired her mobility and she now has to use a walker.
Turner says she also sustained injury to her wrist and knee from when she also hit the floor in a panic.
A father of one of the students inside the school during the shooting says this lawsuit is a cry for help.
"If safety is the goal, then safety needs to be the goal of the school board and maybe this lawsuit will get the attention of the school board to say 'We aren't just going to talk about safety. We are not just going to have committees about safety.' We are going to enact plans to keep our staff our faculty and our students safe," the father explained.
After the shooting, court documents say the school brought in more school security officers, improved safety technology, provided training and set up a support hot line. Still, Turner and Webb says the damage was already done, not only to them, but to their students and fellow staff members as well.
The lawsuit claims the school allowed a quote "violent felon" to attend Heritage High School without any monitoring or inspection of his belongings.
It also claims the school removed metal detectors from the high school, only bringing them back after the Richneck Elementary School shooting.
Richneck Shooting
Heritage High alum speaks about Richneck Elem. shooting
Webb is seeking over $1.7 million dollars in damages. Turner is asking for $2.6 million in damages.
We reached out to the Newport News School Division for comment. They told us last Friday they have not been served the lawsuit yet.
