ST. LOUIS COUNTY — The family of Kaylee Gain, the 16-year-old who was severely beaten in a fight near Hazelwood East High School, wants the teen accused in the altercation charged as an adult.
But the family also said in a statement released late Friday that Kaylee’s condition is improving.
Kaylee, who suffered a skull fracture in the March 8 after-school fight near the high school campus, has been able to hold limited conversations, has taken a few short walks with help, and is starting speech therapy, the family said.
She is still, however, unable to get around on her own, and has no recollection of the fight, according to the statement.
The statement, sent by the Gain family’s attorney, was released a day after the family of Maurnice DeClue, 15, who is charged with assault in the fight, described her as an honor roll student who is “diligent and helpful.”
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Kaylee’s family said Maurnice should be tried as an adult. “Given the particularly violent nature of this assault, and also taking into account the devastating injuries that Kaylee has incurred, it is difficult to imagine a more appropriate case for a juvenile to be certified as an adult,” according to the statement.
The Gain statement confirms that Kaylee was suspended over an altercation with a different female student March 7, the day before the fight with Maurnice.
But because of Kaylee’s “limited ability to communicate” her family doesn’t know the details of that fight, according to the statement — or if it is connected to the beating that left her in the ICU for days with brain bleeding and other injuries.
“The family wants to reiterate that they do not want any retaliation of any kind to occur toward anyone that was either directly or indirectly involved in this incident,” they said in the statement.
The statement also said that contrary to persistent online rumors that she had driven her daughter to the fight, Kaylee's mother was at work when the incident happened.
Footage of the March 8 fight went viral after it was posted on social media. The video showed a teen beating Kaylee’s head into concrete on a residential street near Hazelwood East High.
It quickly attracted national attention. Last week, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched an investigation into the Hazelwood School District’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices, which he alleged “contributed” to the fight — though neither police nor the school district said race was a factor in the fight.
Calls from the public and government officials have mounted to charge Maurnice as an adult, a decision ultimately up to a Ƶ County juvenile court judge. A status hearing is set for Monday.
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.
Dana Rieck of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.