The father of Kaylee Gain —the 16-year-old Missouri girl who was severely injured following a fight with her rival — gave insight into her upbringing, highlighting how instability may have played a role in her behavior.
During an interview with the New York Post, Clinton Gain opened up about how he and his former partner battled with drug addiction and ultimately split up during her preschool years.
Gain and her brother were solely under the custody of their mother, April Nordstrom, until her addiction worsened. The children ended up living with their grandparents for the next two years.
During this time, Clinton Gain was able to recover and met Jamie, who is now Gain’s stepmother. The children moved in with them, and the couple tried to provide them with “some stability and structure,” Clinton told the Post. After five years, Gain wanted to move back in with her mother, who he thinks didn’t have much control over the teen’s behavior.
“She was becoming a young woman,” Clinton said to the outlet. “She said she needed her mother, and April was in a good place by that time. She was working, she was doing OK.”
Things turned sour when she started getting into consistent conflicts at school: “We don’t know who started things, if it was her or other people,” he added.
Her most recent altercation in early March with 15-year-old Maurnice DeClue, which occurred minutes away from Hazelwood East High School in Missouri, left her hospitalized. A viral video shows the two teens fighting, and at one point, DeClue slamming Gain’s head on the ground.
According to the Post, April contacted Jamie, who told Clinton about the March 8 incident.
“When I found out this was from a fight, I got angry. Because I felt like this could have been prevented,” he explained.
Gain has regained consciousness but still can’t walk by herself. Her family’s attorney also said she has “limited conversations.” Two fundraisers were created for the victims, and they raised more than $450,000. The proceeds for larger fund, currently at $410,000 will go to April, while a smaller fund of $47,000 will go to Clinton.
DeClue’s defense team and family have reiterated that the teen — charged with assault and currently in custody — was bullied and was only defending herself. They touted her as an honor student and asked officials to show her compassion amid calls for her to be tried as an adult. Although DeClue has shown remorse, Gain’s family still thinks harsher charges are necessary.
As Atlanta Black Star previously reported, DeClue’s attorney, Greg Smith revealed that Gain got into a fight at school the day before she exchanged blows with his client. It led to her being suspended.
Gain’s parents added more context. They said that their daughter and DeClue were insulting one another via text message before the fight and agreed to go head-to-head as the two girls were allegedly in opposing friend groups. Still, this information does not change how they feel about DeClue.
“We hope the justice system sees that she went way overboard and nearly killed her,” Jamie Gain told the Post. “And that it doesn’t matter who said what to who before it all happened.”
