The Virginia high school track and field runner who was seen violently smashing her baton into an opponent’s head during a relay race has spoken out about the backlash she’s received, while claiming the incident was an accident.
I.C. Norcom High School senior Alaila Everett gave opponent Brookville junior Kaelen Tucker a concussion and possible skull fracture when she beat her head with the baton at an event on Tuesday. Everett claims the attack occurred because she lost her balance and her baton got “stuck” behind her opponent’s back.
“After a couple times of hitting her, my baton got stuck behind her back like this, and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance when I pumped my arms again. She got hit,” Everett said in an interview with WAVY. “I know my intentions and I would never hit someone on purpose,”
Everett also said that while she caused physical pain for Tucker, there is not enough empathy for Everett’s own “mental” impact.
“Everybody has feelings, so you’re physically hurt, but you’re not thinking of my mental,” Everett said. “They are assuming my character, calling me ghetto and racial slurs, death threats… all of this off of a nine-second video.”
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Everett’s mother, Zeketa Cost, told WAVY that she also doesn’t believe her daughter did it on purpose.
“I didn’t have to see a first video, second video or tenth video. I know 100% that she would never do that to nobody,” Cost said.
The family claimed that they have been served court papers over the incident and that Everett has tried to apologize to Tucker, but the concussed opponent has blocked Everett on social media.
Tucker’s mother, Tamarrow Tucker, told WSET ABC 13 on Thursday that they hadn’t received an apology.
“My whole thing was no apology,” Tamarrow said. “No coaches, no athlete, no anything. Even if it was an accident, which I don’t believe it’s an accident, but nothing. It’s been more than 24 hours now, so I guess that was the major thing. My child was hurt and nobody came to check on her.”
Starting blocks and a baton at the 120th Penn Relays at Franklin Field. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
Tucker recounted the incident and said the entire section gasped when they saw the repeated baton bashing.
“The whole section just gasped,” Tucker told WSET ABC 13 about those around her in the bleachers. “We had family come from out of town, her godparents were here from Myrtle Beach. Everybody just gasped. When I saw her go down, all I could do is run out of the bleachers. I just knew I had to get to her.
“She was kind of hysterical because she just couldn’t believe that’s what had happened.”
Tucker said a medic was already with her daughter when she got down on the track,.
Everett and her whole team were disqualified for “contact interference.”
Vincent Pugh, former citywide athletic director at Portsmouth Public Schools, questioned the validity of the disqualification, arguing a play-by-play showed that Tucker was running closely to Everett.
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Baton held by Kiersten Duncan of LSU in the starting blocks at the 87th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
“If a person comes up on the outside, they got to be a full stride ahead of me before they can cut in front of me,” Pugh told WAVY.
The Virginia High School League (VHSL) issued a statement to Fox News Digital on the matter.
“The VHSL does not comment on individuals or disciplinary actions due to FERPA,” the league’s statement read. “The actions taken by the meet director to disqualify the runner were appropriate and correct. We thoroughly review every instance like this that involves player safety with the participating schools. The VHSL membership has always made it a priority to provide student-athletes with a safe environment for competition.”
Fox News Digital’s Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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