Virginia track star breaks down in tears at support rally after being charged over viral baton assault

LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA: High school track star Alaila Everett burst into tears while thanking her community for their unwavering support just a day after she was charged with assault for hitting an opponent with a baton. 

The high schooler from Lynchburg’s IC Norcom High School faced severe online backlash after a viral video appeared to show her hitting her opponent with a baton during a relay event on March 6. 

While Everett has maintained that it was an accident and she did not hit her fellow athlete -- Kaelen Tucker of Brookville High School -- intentionally, she has been charged with battery and assault over the incident.

However, just a day after she was charged, Everett broke down in tears while thanking her community during a rally outside her school.

Alaila Everett thanks her community for having her back

“Nobody else wanted to hear my story except for the people that know me, and people that know I would never do anything like that,” said Everett at the rally. 

The track star also claimed, “I would never harm anybody. I'm not a fighter. I'm not even confrontational,” as reported by CBS affiliate WTKR News.

“I wouldn't even do that on purpose,” reiterated the budding track star, before noting, “And I thank y'all for believing in me. And I love y'all," per Daily Mail.

As the high schooler made her short yet poignant speech, her supporters shouted that they supported her and had her back. 

Apart from her local supporters, the Portsmouth NAACP has also extended their support for Everett, and claimed that she is “not an attacker.”

Prior to Everett getting charged, Portsmouth NAACP said in a statement, “Alaila is NOT AN ATTACKER and media headlines that allude towards that in any way is shameful. We understand the sensitivity of the circumstances for both athletes and their families involved but this narrative must not go unaddressed.”

They further added, “Alaila is an honor student and a star athlete at the historic IC Norcom High School. From all accounts, she is an exceptional young leader and scholar whose athletic talent has been well documented and recognized across our state. She has carried herself with integrity both on and off the field and any narrative that adjudicates her guilty of any criminal activity is a violation of her due process rights.”

Nevertheless, as the video went viral, it divided social media users. As disciplinary measures, Everett and the entire team of IC Norcom High School were disqualified for “contact interference.”

Kaelen Tucker’s camp doesn’t believe it was an accident

In the video footage that came out, Everett could be seen swinging the baton before hitting Tucker on the head. The track star, however, previously admitted that even though the video looked like she did it purposefully, she would never intentionally hurt anyone. 

Meanwhile, Tucker appeared doubtful about the story, as she told ABC affiliate WSET News, “I'm still trying to take it all in, I can't believe it happened.”

Her mother Tamarro Tucker, too, criticized IC Norcom for not apologizing. “No apologies. No coaches. No athlete. No anything. Even if it was an accident, which I don't believe it was... nothing,” she shared.