Track relay runner faces assault and battery charge for hitting opponent in the head with baton

A high school athlete is facing misdemeanour charges of assault and battery after appearing to hit a competitor over the head with a baton during a relay event.

The athlete in question, Alaila Everett, is a senior at IC Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. She was running the second leg of a 4x200m relay when she clashed with Kaelen Tucket of Brookbille High School.

Footage shared online showed Tucker staggering and clutching her head after being struck with the baton, before stumbling off the track. She received medical attention alongside the track and was later diagnosed with a concussion, ABC News reports.

The incident has gained a lot of media attention, so much so that Everett felt compelled to appeared on ‘Good Morning America’ with her parents this week. Speaking on the show, Everett insisted that she had not intended to strike her opponent and had simply made contact while steadying herself on the track.

“I would never do that on purpose... That’s not in my character,” Everett said. “Her arm was literally hitting the baton - until she got a little ahead, and my arm got stuck like this,” while miming the action.

The 18-year-old will now await the outcome of an investigation after being formally charged this week. The commonwealth attorney for the city of Lynchburg, Bethany Harrison, confirmed on Wednesday that misdemeanour charges of assault and battery have been issued in relation to the incident.

Whatever the outcome, some of the backlash received by Everett has been unacceptable and she has reported racist messages and death threats. As a result, the Portsmouth NAACP has stepped in to review the incident and the fall-out.

“From all accounts, she is an exceptional young leader and scholar whose athletic talent has been well-documented and recognized across our state,” a statement from the Portsmouth NAACP reads. “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.”

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