The controversy surrounding the baton strike incident at the Virginia Class 3 Indoor Track Championships continues to deepen, with both runners involved sharing their sides of the story publicly.
Alaila Everett, the senior runner from I.C. Norcom High School who hit Brookville High junior Kaelen Tucker with her baton during the relay, insists the collision was purely accidental—a claim that has triggered heated debate.
In an emotional interview, Everett explained through tears that she never meant to harm Tucker.
“We get to the curve, and I feel someone coming up on me,” Everett said in the interview. “I’m running, and she’s just getting closer and closer to the point where she’s up on me. My baton is – her elbow, like her arm is literally hitting my baton so I lost balance.”
“My arm goes up her back, and my body twisted. The curve is this way, and I have to run that way, so I’m like this in the air. I catch my balance and pump my arms. She’s cutting in, and so when I pumped my arms, she got hit. I’m sorry she got hit, but I didn’t do it intentionally.“
Everett also mentioned that the backlash, including death threats and racial slurs online, has deeply affected her mental health.
But footage from the event, along with statements from Tucker and witnesses, tell a different story.
According to a lip-reading expert quoted by the Daily Mail, Everett shouted “Get off” and “hey oh” right before the baton struck Tucker.
For Tucker, the collision wasn’t accidental—she claims Everett had been bumping her deliberately throughout the race.
“When we got to the curve she kept bumping me in my arm and when we got off the curve I finally passed her and that was when she hit me with the baton”
Tucker was later diagnosed with a concussion and possibly a skull fracture—injuries serious enough to cause significant concern.
The debate over Everett’s intent has dominated discussions online.
Many commenters have questioned her sincerity, pointing to a lack of immediate apology or accountability. One viewer noted, “She didn’t lose her balance; she lost her temper.” Another added, “There’s no accountability here at all.”
The situation has now escalated legally, with Tucker’s family filing for a protective order against Everett. Everett’s family is frustrated by the legal challenges, saying the court hearings force them to travel three hours away into an unfriendly community.
While Everett herself claims she tried reaching out to Tucker online to apologize but was blocked, the Tucker family maintains that no one from Everett’s team showed immediate concern at the event.
“They were beside us at the event. They were watching the video at the event, but no one apologized or came to check on her,” said Kaelen’s mom, Tamarrow Tucker. “Even if it was a fluke or freak accident, you still would check on her.”
Leslie Young, I.C. Norcom’s athletic director, did eventually reach out to apologize on behalf of the school. However, the Tucker family remains frustrated with the initial response—or lack thereof.
