ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Authorities have referred eight more teenagers to family court and recommended they be charged with assault in connection with the after-school fight near Hazelwood East High that hospitalized a teen girl.
Also, on Thursday, the family of the 15-year-old already charged with assault in the fight identified her as Maurnice DeClue, and said she is a “diligent and helpful†teen and an honor roll student, in their first public statement since the 15-year-old’s arrest.
The DeClue family has “maintained a respectful silence†since the March 8 fight, said the teen’s cousin, Tina DeClue, in the statement sent to the Post-Dispatch.
“While we deeply appreciate the overwhelming solidarity we have received, regrettably, we have also encountered negative and threatening behavior,†DeClue wrote. “Our thoughts and prayers are extended to the other family involved in this situation, and we share in their moments of positivity.â€
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Kaylee Gain, 16, was severely injured in the fight. She was in an intensive care unit for several days, suffering from a skull fracture and brain bleeding, her family said. This past weekend she began breathing on her own and was moved out of the hospital’s ICU.
Footage of Kaylee’s beating went viral after it was posted on social media. The video showed the other teen beating Kaylee’s head into concrete on a residential street near Hazelwood East High.
Calls from the public and government officials mounted to charge Maurnice as an adult. That decision will ultimately be up to a ºüÀêÊÓƵ County juvenile court judge; a status hearing is set for Monday.
The eight other teens were referred to the court on Monday for assault charges. They include three 16-year-old boys, a 17-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl, two 16-year-old girls and a 17-year-old girl. The teens were not in custody on Thursday and their names will not be released by authorities unless they are certified as adults.
“There is a disconnect between our children and acceptable conflict-resolution behaviors,†ºüÀêÊÓƵ County police Chief Kenneth Gregory said in a statement Thursday. “It’s crucial that we as parents and citizens continue to talk to our children about violence and the grave consequences that can occur when we resort to ‘fighting it out’ or picking up a weapon.â€
Video of the fight has attracted national attention, and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched an investigation last week into how the Hazelwood School District’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices “contributed†to the fight, which appeared to involve a Black student beating a white student.
Neither police nor the school district have said race was a factor in the fight, which happened about a quarter-mile from the school.
Cindy Reeds Ormsby, a lawyer representing Hazelwood School District, accused Bailey of racial bias and “elevating political narrative above student safety.â€
The Missouri chapter of the NAACP also criticized Bailey’s investigation. “Attorney General Bailey’s blind eye to racism when the victim is Black is telling, but the use of the investigative power in his office to lift the harm suffered by a Caucasian student while ignoring the Black victims is nothing short of Jim Crow,†President Nimrod Chapel Jr. said in a statement on Wednesday. “It is outrageous that our tax dollars are funding his racist political talking points.â€
Maurnice’s defense attorney, Greg Smith, on Thursday said she had no previous involvement with the juvenile court.
He said the request to certify Maurnice as an adult was filed about the same time as her assault charge. The law requires a certification hearing for juveniles who are charged with specific crimes, including first-degree assault.
But the hearing to determine whether she’ll be transferred to adult court won’t happen for some time. The juvenile officer has to investigate and produce a report, which is then provided to the defense lawyer before the hearing. A judge will make the final determination.
“It’s an incredibly serious situation when you’re saying that a child should be prosecuted and treated as an adult,†Smith said.
DeClue said her cousin has excelled academically — speaking multiple languages, playing volleyball and also the violin. She comes from a family full of doctors, lawyers and NAACP officials, she said.
Maurnice was “described by her teachers as a diligent and helpful student who never caused any disruptions,†DeClue wrote. She said Maurnice’s parents take “immense pride in her achievements.â€
She said the family attempted to raise funds for her legal defense through GoFundMe, but the campaign was removed by the website.
Maurnice is scheduled to appear in a status hearing on Monday.