The parents of Kaylee Gain have released new details into what led to the viral fight that left her hospitalized.
Text messages revealed that Gain and 15-year-old Maurnice DeClue were insulting one another before the March 8 altercation, which occurred near Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis, Missouri, according to the New York Post.
The teen’s stepmother, Jamie, and her father, Clinton, inspected the 16-year-old’s phone to gain more insight, however they didn’t share specific messages with the publication. It has been noted that both Gain and DeClue were in opposing friend groups.
According to the report, the tension led to a physical dispute between DeClue’s friend and Gain, resulting in her suspension. The next day, the incident that was captured on video and sparked outrage happened.
“They both agreed to the fight, to meet up and settle what was going on,” Clinton told the outlet.
DeClue has since been charged with assault and in custody of the St. Louis County Family Court. She is accused of slamming Gain’s head on the ground multiple times during the fight. After weeks in the ICU, Gain regained consciousness.
“Kaylee’s ability to walk has slightly improved, but she is still unable to do so without the assistance of the hospital staff,” her family attorney, Bryan Kaemmerer, said. “However, Kaylee is still showing signs of significant cognitive impairment during the limited conversations that she is able to have, and she tends to reiterate the same short sentences over and over.”
DeClue’s family has been defending her against calls for her to receive a harsher punishment from Gain’s loved ones and local officials. They said the honor roll student was a victim of bullying and was defending herself. They even created a petition asking officials for leniency, as her hearing is scheduled for early May.
According to the New York Post, Declue’s attorney, Greg Smith, also emphasized his client’s academic achievements and said she is not a violent teen: “She is what you’d want out of a 15-year-old girl.”
Gain’s parents publicly pushed back against claims that their daughter initiated the fight.
Despite DeClue’s desire to apologize, the family firmly believes that “it is appropriate for the accused” to be charged as an adult.
“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.”
