ST. LOUIS COUNTY — The family of the teenager charged with assault in the Hazelwood East after-school fight said on Thursday that the teen is a "diligent and helpful" 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 a statement sent to the Post-Dispatch.Â
"While we deeply appreciate the overwhelming solidarity we have received, regrettably, we have also encountered negative and threatening behavior," Tina DeClue wrote. "Our thoughts and prayers are extended to the other family involved in this situation, and we share in their moments of positivity."
DeClue named her cousin, Maurnice DeClue, as the teen charged in the fight. She said Maurnice is in custody and her parents visit every day.
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Kaylee Gain, the teenager severely injured in the fight, began to breathe on her own this weekend and was moved out of the hospital's intensive care unit more than a week after she suffered a skull fracture and brain bleeding, her family said. Her GoFundMe campaign has raised about $400,000.
Footage of Kaylee’s beating went viral after it was posted on social media. The video showed another girl beating Kaylee's head into concrete on a residential street near Hazelwood East High School.
Maurnice's defense attorney, Greg Smith, said she has no previous involvement with the juvenile court.Â
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.Â
"It's an incredibly serious situation when you're saying that a child should be prosecuted and treated as an adult," Smith said.
Last week Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched an investigation 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€
On Thursday authorities announced that Maurnice may not be the only teen facing charges. Police announced that they referred eight more teenagers to family court and recommended they be charged with assault.
Those charges had not been filed as of Thursday afternoon and the eight were not in custody.
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.
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."
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.Â