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Observe and subject isn’t speculated to be a harmful sport, particularly not at the highschool degree, however a current incident between student-athletes from two opposing excessive faculties in Virginia has boiled over into controversy as one pupil has been accused of deliberately attacking one other competitor together with her baton throughout a relay race.
In accordance with ABC 7, Kaelen Tucker, a junior at Brookville Excessive College, was working within the second leg of the 4×200 relay within the Virginia State Excessive College League Championships when she was captured in a viral video showing to be struck within the head by the baton of one other pupil not too long ago recognized as Alaila Everett, a senior at I.C. Norcom Excessive College.
From ABC 7:
“I simply felt a bang on my head, after which I fell off the monitor instantly,” Tucker mentioned.
Tucker was seen on digital camera dropping her baton and reaching for her head.
“The entire coliseum just about gasped,” mentioned Tamarro Tucker, Kaelen’s mom. “I simply jumped up out of the bleachers instantly and ran to her on the primary flooring.”
The 16-year-old was identified with a concussion.
The household mentioned neither the athlete who struck Kaelen nor the opposite workforce’s coaches checked on her or reached out afterward.
“To see that they stored working and he or she not cease and test on my daughter. That was the half I used to be like, it couldn’t have been an accident,” Tamarro Tucker mentioned.
However Everett, who has since turn into the topic of intense social media backlash, claims it was, the truth is, an accident, and that persons are passing judgment after solely seeing video footage of the incident from “one angle.”
Everett instructed WJYZ what occurred together with her baton was a mishap that occurred after she and Kaelen practically collided with one another whereas rounding a curve on the monitor.
“After a pair instances of hitting her, my baton obtained caught behind her again … and it rolled up her again. I misplaced my steadiness once I pumped my arms once more. She obtained hit,” she mentioned.
“I do know my intentions and I might by no means hit somebody on function,” she added.
After all, most individuals on-line don’t appear to be shopping for it, as a result of the video footage that has gone viral makes it fairly tough to think about an “angle” that makes what occurred look much less like an assault. Nonetheless, Everett’s dad and mom say she’s harmless, and that the best way she has been handled has been abhorrent, video footage be damned.
“I didn’t need to see a primary video, second video or tenth video. I do know 100% that she would by no means try this to no one,” Zeketa Value, Everett’s mom, mentioned.
From WJYZ:
The I.C. Norcom Excessive College workforce was finally disqualified, which Vincent Pugh, former Citywide Athletic Director at Portsmouth Public Faculties, discovered questionable. He mentioned a play-by-play confirmed that Turner was working carefully to Everett.
“If an individual comes up on the surface, they obtained to be a full stride forward of me earlier than they’ll reduce in entrance of me,” Pugh mentioned.
The Tuckers spoke with WSLS in Roanoke and mentioned they’re searching for an apology from Everett. She revealed she has made efforts to get in touch with Tucker however has been blocked by her on social media. Furthermore, the Everett household was served with courtroom papers because the Tuckers desire a protecting order.
“It doesn’t appear proper that this might occur and now we’ve got to go to a metropolis three hours away that everybody hates our guts already,” Genoa Everett, her father mentioned.
“They’re assuming my character, calling me ghetto and racial slurs, loss of life threats… all of this off of a 9 second video,” Alaila Everett mentioned.
Yeah — I imply, everyone knows how social media immediately turns right into a cesspool of unbridled misogynoir at any time when there’s a trending story a couple of Black lady or woman even being accused of any type of misconduct. If the incident had concerned two white student-athletes, the one who allegedly hit the opposite together with her baton definitely would have been well-criticized, however the phrase “ghetto” or another anti-Black slur wouldn’t come up.
Anyway, the administrators of communication for Virginia Excessive College League and Portsmouth Public Faculties offered statements addressing the incident.
“We don’t touch upon people or disciplinary actions. I can inform you that the actions taken by the meet director had been acceptable and proper. We’re nonetheless reviewing the state of affairs however that’s all I’ve for you proper now. It’s a critical situation particularly when it entails the security of athletes in competitions,” wrote VHSL Communication Director Mike McCall.
PPS’s director, Lauren Nolasco, mentioned in her assertion, “The division instantly reported the incident to the Virginia Excessive College League (VHSL), which remains to be investigating. We’re cooperating with the VSHL in its work. The division will assist and comply with the ruling that comes from the VHSL upon its accomplished investigation.”
See under how social media is debating if the baton-hitting incident was purposeful.
Excessive College Observe Star Says Viral Baton Assault Was Unintentional, Social Media Weighs In
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