Apparently, running in a relay race might not be safe for your skull after all! Now, every sport has its share of risks. However, getting hit on the head with a baton is most unlikely to make it to the list! Sadly, that is exactly what transpired at the Class 3 indoor track and field meet at Liberty University. Alaila Everett could be spotted striking Brookville High’s Kaelen Tucker on the head with her baton. The shocked crowd saw Tucker collapse onto the floor almost immediately. As the race was called to a stop, a medical team rushed in to help the fallen athlete. She was later diagnosed with a concussion. With the bizarre incident gaining significant limelight, several opinions have been shared on the same. One such opinion came from a US track NCAA icon. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant one for Alaila Everett to hear.

Hannah Cunliffe posted a video of herself giving her take on the matter. Everett commented on the incident saying that it was not a deliberate action. In fact, she did not have any intentions of hitting Tucker at all. But Cunliffe did not seem satisfied with the narrative at all. She stated that the nature of Everett’s actions does not make it appear that it was unintentional. “Never been running track 21 years, never heard of someone’s skull getting fractured from a baton hitting it. If you were stumbling and you had enough arm power to throw your arm to still hold the baton and hit the lady’s head, no,” said Cunliffe. She further explained that if Everett really did take a stumble, or it was purely an accident, then the baton would have surely come out of her hands. Which did not happen. 

“It doesn’t make any sense. This is sad. One last thing. The people who know track know that she was salty, that she was getting hocked in the relay. Like, it’s just that simple. You got hocked,” Cunliffe further lashed out at the high school athlete. Looking at the race more closely, Cunliffe also came up with an interesting detail. She analyzed that what Everett was trying to do was to run outside of a bank track. This was done deliberately, as she did not want any of her opponents to get past her. 

But unfortunately, in the end, Alaila Everett was not successful in her ploy. As per Cunliffe, “You were mad that you were about to get passed and you hit her with a baton. Like, just take the accountability. You let your emotions get in the way. Like, that’s what it is.” Well, these were surely some harsh words coming from one of the most accomplished track and field personalities. Now, getting back to the tragic race. Right after the incident, the officials had the I.C Norcom team disqualified on grounds of contact and interference. 

Surprisingly, a spokesperson for the Virginia High School League, Mike McCall did not want to comment on the disciplinary actions taken against Alaila Everett. McCall that the organization cannot comment on the disciplinary actions as of now. For the time being, they deem the action taken by the meet director to disqualify the team was appropriate. However, he did promise to review the incident further and come up with a solution. Meanwhile, with all the backlashes directed at Everett, the high school athlete is getting death threats!

Alaila Everett faces death threats after baton incident sparked outrage

Alaila Everett is facing a wave of death threats and racial slurs after the baton incident at the Class 3 indoor track and field meet at Liberty University left Brookville High School’s Kaelen Tucker with a concussion. Everett, who has been subjected to relentless harassment online, maintains that the moment was purely accidental. “I know my intentions, and I would never hit someone on purpose,” Everett stated firmly.

Despite Everett’s insistence that the contact was unintentional, public outrage has spiraled out of control. The viral footage of the incident, lasting just nine seconds, has ignited a storm of accusations and hostility. She revealed, “They are assuming my character, calling me ghetto and racial slurs, and making death threats—all of this off of a nine-second video.” The backlash has left her shaken and exposed to intense social media scrutiny, but so far, little has been done to address the escalating threats.

Event officials quickly disqualified Everett’s I.C. Norcom team for contact interference, but Everett’s safety remains an unresolved issue. The Virginia High School League (VHSL) acknowledged the seriousness of the incident but offered limited information on any protective measures or further action. “We don’t comment on individuals or disciplinary actions,” Mike McCall, a VHSL spokesperson, shared. He further added, “I can tell you that the actions taken by the meet director were appropriate and correct. We are still reviewing the situation.”

As the investigation continues, Everett remains under pressure from both the public and the governing bodies overseeing the sport. While Portsmouth Public Schools confirmed that they reported the incident to the VHSL, Everett is still left vulnerable to the threats and harassment. The growing intensity of the backlash raises serious questions about how athletes are protected in the face of public outrage.