In a statement given on behalf of former Richneck principal Briana Foster-Newton, Foster-Newton's lawyer, Pamela Branch says they're "exploring the possibility" of a countersuit to Zwerner's lawsuit.
City Attorney Collins Owens Jr. noted Newport News once had an ordinance restricting panhandling. However, City Council got rid of it a few years ago after federal courts ruled that panhandling is a form of free speech.
The Newport News City Council voted Tuesday night to align its local anti-discrimination ordinances with the state code, a change that many cities in Northern Virginia have already done.