Recently, Alaila Everett, a high school track star, went viral on social media after a video showed what looked like her intentionally striking her opponent in the head. However, she says that’s far from the truth. Everett, a senior at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Va., broke her silence surrounding the controversy, explaining that the video circulating social media doesn’t tell the full story.
“I know my intention is that I would never hit somebody on purpose,” Everett said in an emotional interview with WAVY-TV 10.
The controversy stems from the 4×200-meter relay on March 4 at Liberty University, where Everett was captured on video hitting Brookville High School junior Kaelen Tucker in the head with a baton. The footage shows Tucker clutching her head before collapsing onto the infield. According to WSLS 10, Tucker was later diagnosed with a concussion and a possible skull fracture. As a result, Everett’s team was disqualified from the event and the incident was reported to the Virginia High School League (VHSL).
“The actions taken by the meet director to disqualify the runner were appropriate and correct,” VHSL said in a statement to People magazine. “We thoroughly review every instance like this that involves player safety with the participating schools.”
Similarly, Dr. Lauren Nolasco, chief communications officer for Portsmouth Public Schools, says, “The division will support and follow the ruling that comes from the VHSL upon its completed investigation.”
However, Everett insists that the viral clip doesn’t reflect what happened on the track.
“They’re going off of one angle,” she said, explaining that her baton got caught on Tucker’s back as they made contact. The video shows Tucker, who was in the second lane during the relay, running close to Everett as she tried to overtake her opponent, which ultimately led to the strike
“After a couple [of] times of hitting her [with my body], my baton got stuck behind her back like this,” Everett continued as she demonstrated lifting her arm, “and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance, and when I pumped my arms again, she got hit.”
However, Tucker recounted the moment differently to WSLS, “When you go on the other side of the track, you have to cross into lane one, you have to merge in. And as I was coming up on her, she kind of like made me like get cut off a little bit, so I backed away, and then as we got around the curve, she kept bumping me in my arm, and then finally, when we got off the curve, I like slowly started passing her and then that’s when she just hit me with a baton and I fell off the track.”
Since the clip went viral, Everett told the outlet that she’s faced an outpouring of hate, including racial slurs and death threats.
“They’re assuming my character…just because of a nine-second video,” she said, crying.
Meanwhile, Tucker and her mother, Tamarro Tucker, are questioning why no one has apologized.
“My whole thing was no apology,” Tamarro said in the interview one day after the incident. “Like, no coaches, no athlete, no anything. Even if it was an accident — which I don’t believe it was — but nothing. And it’s been more than 24 hours now. So, I guess that was the major thing. My child was hurt, and nobody came to check on her.”
Kaelen echoed her mother’s sentiment, asking, “Why did you do it? And why haven’t you apologized yet?”
Everett says she has tried to apologize but has been blocked on social media. Meanwhile, WAVY-TV 10 reports that Everett’s family is now facing a lawsuit from the Tuckers.
Amid the controversy, Everett’s parents remain steadfast in their belief that their daughter did nothing wrong.
“I didn’t have to see a first video, second video, or 10th video. I know 100 percent that she would never do that to nobody,” her mother told the news outlet.
With ongoing investigations and now a potential legal battle, the teenager has found herself in the middle of a storm on and offline, based on a 9-second clip.
