Sobbing HS track runner charged for bashing opponent’s head holds rally

A Virginia teen track star who allegedly bashed her opponent’s head with a baton during a recent meet continues to proclaim her innocence.

As previously reported, a viral video recorded earlier this month captured the moment I.C. Norcom High School track star Alaila Everett seemed to bash opponent Kaelen Tucker in the head with a baton.

Watch:

NEW: High school track runner gets attacked with a baton in the middle of a relay at the VSHL Class 3 State Indoor Championships.

Kaelen Tucker was on the second leg of the 4x200m relay at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, when she got smacked in the head.

Tucker suffered a… pic.twitter.com/DXPMwZcaRP

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 9, 2025

After being hit, Tucker dropped her baton and staggered off the track.  She was later diagnosed with a concussion and possible skull fracture. Everett meanwhile was disqualified from the race.

After the incident, Everett fiercely proclaimed her innocence, arguing that what had occurred on the track field was just an accident. According to her, because she and Tucker got so close to one another out on the track field, her baton kept accidentally bumping into the other girl.

“Eventually after a couple times of hitting her, my baton got stuck behind her back like this, and it rolled up her back,” she recalled to local station WAVY. “I lost my balance. When I pumped my arms again she got hit.”

Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison didn’t believe her and has since filed an assault and battery charge against the teen.

Everett responded by holding a rally on Thursday alongside the Portsmouth chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

“Thank you all for supporting me,” she said during the rally. “There’s nobody else who wanted to hear my story except for people that know me and people that know I would never do anything like that. I would never harm anybody. I’m not a fighter. I’m not confrontational. I wouldn’t even do that on purpose.”

Listen:

Hundreds of people gathered to support Track star Alaila Everett after believing she’s being wrongly accused of purposefully attacking another track star.

“Thank you for believing me!” pic.twitter.com/fLs3inrltY

— Rain Drops Media (@Raindropsmedia1) March 13, 2025

Also speaking at the rally, Portsmouth NAACP President James Boyd claimed Everett’s family has been on the receiving ends of racial slurs and threats ever since the baton incident occurred.

“The Everett family has experienced racial slurs, they’ve experienced death threats, and we think unequivocally that those things are unacceptable,” he said, according to Fox News.

Meanwhile, the Portsmouth NAACP released a statement shaming those who believe the teen girl is guilty.

“Alaila is NOT AN ATTACKER and media headlines that allude towards that in any way is shameful,” the statement reads. “We understand the sensitivity of the circumstances for both athletes and their families involved but this narrative must not go unaddressed.”

“Alaila is an honor student and a star athlete at the historic I.C. 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,” it continues.

Germain Green, a local community activist, also spoke at the rally.

“It bothered me to my heart to see how the whole world was dragging this young lady, dragging her character based on what they thought they saw,” he said. “I just wanted to step up, speak out, and bring unity and let this young lady know that the city of Portsmouth has her back.”

A community rally was held today in support of Alaila Everett, the athlete seen striking her opponent from behind with a relay baton. Everett says it was accidental. President of the Portsmouth chapter of the @NAACP was there, more from him tonight on @WAVY_News at 10 & 11. pic.twitter.com/pY3yelhmGU

— Markeshia Jackson TV (@MarkeshiaonTV) March 14, 2025

The problem is very few people believe Everett and her family. Critics are bothered not only by what they saw on camera, but also by what they didn’t see, which was her checking up on Tucker after hitting her.

Did Alaila stop to help her opponent after she went down?

— The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) March 14, 2025

No and she didn’t even apologize at the event, according to the victim’s family.

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 14, 2025

Senior Staff Writer
[email protected]

V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

Latest posts by Vivek Saxena (see all)

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.