High School Runner Charged After Baton Assault During Championship

Alaila Everett, a senior at I.C. Norcom High School, has been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after a baton struck her competitor, Kaelen Tucker, during a 4x200 meter relay race at the Virginia State Indoor Championships on March 4. The incident, which went viral, resulted in Tucker suffering a concussion and a possible skull fracture. Everett maintains the incident was accidental, claiming her baton became stuck and that she never intended to hit Tucker. Following the charges, the Portsmouth NAACP defended Everett, asserting that she is an honor student and star athlete who has been wrongfully labeled as an attacker. The Virginia High School League is reviewing the incident, emphasizing the need for safe competition environments. The case has sparked a significant public debate about the nature of the incident and the treatment of high school athletes in the media.