Virginia high school sprinter Alaila Everett is accused of striking opponent Kaelen Tucker on the back of the head with a baton during a relay race. The alleged attack occurred on March 7 at the VHSL Class 3 State Indoor Championships at Liberty University.
Everett, a senior running for I.C. Norcom High School, reportedly shouted at Tucker, a junior from Brookville High School, during the incident.
While poor audio and video quality have made it difficult to determine exactly what was said, an expert claims to have deciphered Everett’s words.
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“Get off” and “hey oh,” the Portsmouth, Va., area runner uttered as she struck Tucker, LipReader founder Nicola Hickling told the Daily Mail.
During the race, Tucker attempted to move into lane one ahead of Everett, but Everett appeared to block the move.
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The two runners made contact, rubbing elbows as they came out of the turn.
“When we got to the curve she kept bumping me in my arm and when we got off the curve I finally passed her and that was when she hit me with the baton,” Tucker said to WSLS.
As Tucker was securing second place, Everett allegedly struck her with a baton, causing Tucker to grab her head and veer off the track before collapsing to the ground.
Everett appeared to make a second striking motion but missed before dropping her baton and running past Tucker, pointing at her.
Doctors later diagnosed Tucker with a concussion and a possible skull fracture. Everett, a senior, tearfully insisted the incident was accidental.
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“I know my intentions and I would never hit someone on purpose,” Everett told WAVY.com.
Everett said she has faced death threats and racial slurs after the incident went viral.
“Everybody has feelings, so you’re physically hurt, but you’re not thinking of my mental,” she told the outlet.
Everett claimed she attempted to contact Tucker but was blocked on social media.
“They are assuming my character, calling me ‘ghetto’ and racial slurs, death threats… all of this off of a nine-second video,” she said.
Tucker and her parents were frustrated with Everett and the I.C. Norcom head coach for not apologizing or checking on the injured runner after the race.
“They were beside us at the event. They were watching the video at the event, but no one apologized or came to check on her,” Tucker’s parents told WSLS. “Even if it was a fluke or freak accident, you still would check on her.”
The Tuckers filed for a protective order against Everett and her family, according to WAVY. The incident also led to I.C. Norcom’s disqualification from the race.
