Alaila Everett, an I.C. Norcom High School athlete, is facing the bitter consequences of her actions after hitting her opponent during a track race. On March 4, at the Virginia State indoor championship, the senior student surprisingly attacked her competitor, Kaelen Tucker, with a baton. However, despite what many see as clear evidence of her crime, Everett insists that wasn’t the case.
The victim was diagnosed with a concussion and a fractured skull, and now Everett is facing a misdemeanor charge. Bethan Harrison, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Lynchburg, confirmed the high schooler was charged with assault and battery.
The incident resulting in the charges was captured in a now-viral nine-second clip. As seen in the footage, the duo was about to turn a bend on the track when Everett stretched her hand with a baton, hitting Tucker on the head. Consequently, Tucker fell to the ground while clutching her head, seemingly in pain.
While speaking about the act, Everett tearfully stated that she didn’t intentionally hit her opponent.
“She was touching me to the point where I was pumping my arm and the baton was hitting her arm. I lose my balance—my whole body turns, and then I pump my arms, so she got hit.”
The senior student argued that the video only looks incriminating because it was shown “off of one angle.” Everett further noted that she didn’t apologize to her competitor for the accident because of her coach.
Additionally, Everett’s mother, Zeketa Cost, defended her daughter’s action, claiming that she would not harm anyone. “I didn’t have to see a first video, second video, or tenth video. I know 100 percent that she would never do that to nobody,” Mrs. Cost declared.
After the clip made the rounds, Internet users began criticizing the actions of the young track star, linking it to a lousy upbringing. “Sh**ty person raises sh**ty kid. Shocker,” one user commented.
Another user blamed the youngster’s actions on her parents. “Her parents taught her that one,” the user wrote.
More comments accusing the sprinter’s parents rolled in. This netizen wrote, “Yeah, once you hear from the parents, you get a pretty good idea why she is this way.”
A fourth observer added, “Her parents are pushing it too. This is what happens when you’ve made lack of personal responsibility a core value in your family.”
Another commenter expressed, “Her parents are to blame here too. They should have immediately made their daughter apologize and never agreed to a news interview. This girl is certainly old enough to know not to hit others, but clearly, her parents aren’t interested in holding her accountable for her behavior.”
Following the petition, Alaila Everett’s father has vowed to defend his daughter against the charges. However, the world still has its back turned against her.
