Missouri, St. Louis - Teenage girl critically injured after brutal fight with another female teen near Hazelwood East High School, 8 March 2024

[kaen]

Yes, however -- wouldn't the MO Atty. General override that ?
Thanks for the link.

Has to go through the courts, I believe. No override as it would be a free for all given states who read federal law differently than others. A student's privacy has to be protected and only broke open through courts.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I posted this in Shaylee Majia's thread but thought it applied here as well:
These days the fights between students seem particularly violent. So much has changed since I was in high school. Such senseless loss of life.

My grandchildren aren't old enough for school yet but it really worries me what the world will be like when they are in high school.....

 

[SteveP]

I posted this in Shaylee Majia's thread but thought it applied here as well:
These days the fights between students seem particularly violent. So much has changed since I was in high school. Such senseless loss of life.

My grandchildren aren't old enough for school yet but it really worries me what the world will be like when they are in high school.....

I have young grandkids, and share your worries, and sadly, the violence often happens long before they reach high school, and it seems that no school is immune to it. JMO

 

[LaborDayRN]

It is unclear what is going on here. Are they seeking to charge other kids for just fighting in general as seen on the video released or these charged related to Kaylee? We just don't know. I do think that in light of the AG stance and the school response that there is a LOT more going on here.

whatever is going on behind the scenes one thing if for sure, in my mind anyway. Two teen girls lives have been changed forever. And for what???

 

[LaborDayRN]

IMO, this tragic fight ended in a life changing way. The aggressor didn’t just stop after she ‘won’ the fight, she continued to decimate KG’s skull into the concrete multiple times. KG had both a broken skull (back) as well as frontal lobe damage, from the explosive overkill on her aggressor’s part. Based on the video her skull was shaken back and forth multiple times.

IMO, don’t tell me the magnitude of this fight had anything to do with race. It boiled down to a disagreement between friend groups with the aggressor having a distinct physical size advantage over KG as well as an extremely violent anger issue that is completely unjustifiable.

In retrospect, I am glad someone captured this assault on video. The video will someday speak VOLUMES to a jury.

Sadly, each day KG remains in a coma her chances of meaningful recovery diminish.

Again, prayers for Kaylee and her family. I am really just angry and sad right now.

JMO

I couldn't agree more @Puzzles8
I can't help but wonder if this could have possibly been over a boy.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I have young grandkids, and share your worries, and sadly, the violence often happens long before they reach high school, and it seems that no school is immune to it. JMO

My two adult children (when they were young) went to a small, private Christian school.
I had pulled my son out of a local public school that was OUT OF CONTROL! Bully's everywhere! Teachers that had no control of the students.
It was expensive to make the move, but the cost was worth my peace of mind. I feel for parents who's children are stuck in terrible schools and have no other choice but to leave them there. I'm sure there are many parents who feel trapped. JMO

 

[Stunned]

whatever is going on behind the scenes one thing if for sure, in my mind anyway. Two teen girls lives have been changed forever. And for what???

To be known as a be bad-azz at school and for street cred. So freaking important. SMH.

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

Yes, that is a very valid point !

It could be they are also protecting KG's file. Did the article specify whose files were requested? Was it specific?

ETA:
@kaen I didn't see your post before I posted. You said what I was beginning to form the idea for; you have saved me thinking time; thank you!

 

[Chimera]

Has to go through the courts, I believe. No override as it would be a free for all given states who read federal law differently than others. A student's privacy has to be protected and only broke open through courts.

Ok, thank you for clarifying this.

 

[Puzzles8]

To be known as a be bad-azz at school and for street cred. So freaking important. SMH.

Can you explain this further? I honestly don't understand the implications
Thanks
JMO

 

[Stunned]

Can you explain this further? I honestly don't understand the implications
Thanks
JMO

Some kids want to be known as the tough kids, the kids you don't mess with. Always having to prove themselves in the worse possible ways and here is where we end up.

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

Can you explain this further? I honestly don't understand the implications
Thanks
JMO

I think it means it was about popularity. These days, teens view popularity as the number of followers they have, the number of likes, mentions, etc.
The majority of the verbal fights are online. Messaging, texts, social media, chat groups.
Kids as young as 9 and 10 are in chat groups with neighbourhood kids and school peers.
I wish I was exaggerating.
ETA:
I have 5 children aged 30 to 10 years old. No grandkids, which suits me, right now.
But I have watched how phone and internet technology has affected late millennials, Gen-Z, and a 10-year-old who spent Grade 1 and most of Grade 2 mostly online learning.

 

[Puzzles8]

Some kids want to be known as the tough kids, the kids you don't mess with. Always having to prove themselves in the worse possible ways and here is where we end up.

So who were the tough kids in this situation?
Can you provide any background to help me understand? Obviously there was a lot that led up to this confrontation.
Can you provide any insight?
I just don't get get how any disagreement led to this.
Thanks
JMO

 

[aliciaJ87]

So who were the tough kids in this situation?
Can you provide any background to help me understand? Obviously there was a lot that led up to this confrontation.
Can you provide any insight?
I just don't get get how any disagreement led to this.
Thanks
JMO

Teenage brains. Teenage brains led to this. And it went way too far.

 

[Stunned]

So who were the tough kids in this situation?
Can you provide any background to help me understand? Obviously there was a lot that led up to this confrontation.
Can you provide any insight?
I just don't get get how any disagreement led to this.
Thanks
JMO

I don't know. SM? Their home life? Their life in general? If we knew, our children and our culture wouldn't be struggling with these incidents happening. Hell, adults are behaving this way, I don't know if it's happening more often or if it's just being caught on film now. You can find find videos of violence all over SM. Not this extreme, hopefully!

 

[al66pine]

Cognitive Dissonance (mine)
I’m having a hard time mentally reconciling the change.com petition info* w the vid of assailant & KG.

How many teens achieve everything on that list?
For those w no compass guiding toward a better life than some demographics indicate for Hazelwood students, imo likely few. Why bother?
But for those intent on graduating from HS, securing college scholarships, attending college, graduating & eventually a better life, those accomplishments would form the foundation.

If the list is accurate (presumably a fam member claimed those accomplishments on her behalf or provided info for law firm to include in its releases, Mar 8 & Mar 18 IIRC), the assailant appears, on paper, to be a prime candidate for significant scholarships, etc.

WHY would such an accomplished teen
- agree to a fistfight (IF she did) and
- actually appear at agreed-on location (IF she did) and
- begin to engage (which she did) and
- continue engaging in serious physical assault (which she did) and
- cause serious physical injury (which she did)
while KNOWING it was being vid recorded, to be posted on SM, & virtually certain to come to attn of own family, school, & LE.

Seems she knowingly placed self at risk in an immediate/near-term sense (possible physical injury to self; potential juvie or crim charges; being grounded by parent/guardian; imo doubtful that school could suspend or expel for fight occurring off campus).

Yeah, a stereotypically aimless student, not envisioning even HS graduation or a job requiring it, may roll the dice & go full blast into a street fight.
But a student w her listed accomplishments? Why risk immed. or longer term consequences?

This has bugged me since seeing the petition & is hard for me to imagine.

_______________________________________

* From change.org petition, “Urge Chief Juvenile Officer”…
All verbatim, w a few snips by me.
“15-year-old
“honor roll student at Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis County, MO.
“multilingual, speaking four languages including Spanish and Korean,
“plays the violin in the school orchestra,
“played on her school’s volleyball team and
"recently selected for college-level AP classes due to her academic excellence.”

 

[GoBuckeyes]

What do you think the person taking the video should be charged with? I dont see a crime there.

depraved indifference?? Would that apply?

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

Cognitive Dissonance (mine)
I’m having a hard time mentally reconciling the change.com petition info* w the vid of assailant & KG.

How many teens achieve everything on that list?
For those w no compass guiding toward a better life than some demographics indicate for Hazelwood students, imo likely few. Why bother?
But for those intent on graduating from HS, securing college scholarships, attending college, graduating & eventually a better life, those accomplishments would form the foundation.

If the list is accurate (presumably a fam member claimed those accomplishments on her behalf or provided info for law firm to include in its releases, Mar 8 & Mar 18 IIRC), the assailant appears, on paper, to be a prime candidate for significant scholarships, etc.

WHY would such an accomplished teen
- agree to a fistfight (IF she did) and
- actually appear at agreed-on location (IF she did) and
- begin to engage (which she did) and
- continue engaging in serious physical assault (which she did) and
- cause serious physical injury (which she did)
while KNOWING it was being vid recorded, to be posted on SM, & virtually certain to come to attn of own family, school, & LE.

Seems she knowingly placed self at risk in an immediate/near-term sense (possible physical injury to self; potential juvie or crim charges; being grounded by parent/guardian; imo doubtful that school could suspend or expel for fight occurring off campus).

Yeah, a stereotypically aimless student, not envisioning even HS graduation or a job requiring it, may roll the dice & go full blast into a street fight.
But a student w her listed accomplishments? Why risk immed. or longer term consequences?

This has bugged me since seeing the petition & is hard for me to imagine.

_______________________________________

* From change.org petition, “Urge Chief Juvenile Officer”…
All verbatim, w a few snips by me.
“15-year-old
“honor roll student at Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis County, MO.
“multilingual, speaking four languages including Spanish and Korean,
“plays the violin in the school orchestra,
“played on her school’s volleyball team and
"recently selected for college-level AP classes due to her academic excellence.”

If the accolades are true, I would suggest that maybe she had been harassed for a time; if she accomplished these things, I could not see her having time for much else except maybe an hour or two on her phone before bed.
But at school, words are said, texts, posts, videos, and TikToks are sent, and everyone is interconnected.

And on and on.

Maybe she snapped after being hyped up on Monster, Prime, and Red Bull energy drinks that are advertised to them on social media, as well as peer pressure... online.
If these achievements are actual, then snapping could be the reason, BUT, and it's a big but,
that does not in any way excuse the injuries she inflicted on KG.
I read a very interesting article about 'red mist' and its historical evolution to what it is now in the UK.
(it used to be a legal defence), and its equivalency in the US.

This is all JMO

 

[kaen]

Cognitive Dissonance (mine)
I’m having a hard time mentally reconciling the change.com petition info* w the vid of assailant & KG.

How many teens achieve everything on that list?
For those w no compass guiding toward a better life than some demographics indicate for Hazelwood students, imo likely few. Why bother?
But for those intent on graduating from HS, securing college scholarships, attending college, graduating & eventually a better life, those accomplishments would form the foundation.

If the list is accurate (presumably a fam member claimed those accomplishments on her behalf or provided info for law firm to include in its releases, Mar 8 & Mar 18 IIRC), the assailant appears, on paper, to be a prime candidate for significant scholarships, etc.

WHY would such an accomplished teen
- agree to a fistfight (IF she did) and
- actually appear at agreed-on location (IF she did) and
- begin to engage (which she did) and
- continue engaging in serious physical assault (which she did) and
- cause serious physical injury (which she did)
while KNOWING it was being vid recorded, to be posted on SM, & virtually certain to come to attn of own family, school, & LE.

Seems she knowingly placed self at risk in an immediate/near-term sense (possible physical injury to self; potential juvie or crim charges; being grounded by parent/guardian; imo doubtful that school could suspend or expel for fight occurring off campus).

Yeah, a stereotypically aimless student, not envisioning even HS graduation or a job requiring it, may roll the dice & go full blast into a street fight.
But a student w her listed accomplishments? Why risk immed. or longer term consequences?

This has bugged me since seeing the petition & is hard for me to imagine.

_______________________________________

* From change.org petition, “Urge Chief Juvenile Officer”…
All verbatim, w a few snips by me.
“15-year-old
“honor roll student at Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis County, MO.
“multilingual, speaking four languages including Spanish and Korean,
“plays the violin in the school orchestra,
“played on her school’s volleyball team and
"recently selected for college-level AP classes due to her academic excellence.”

In some schools with issues with gangs, fighting, and/or bullying, there is retribution if you don't engage in the violence. IMHO, it is important to remember that these kids (all of them) have to walk into school every day and survive it all. You may or may not find a niche or a crew that has your back. For many kids in rough schools, you do what you need to do in order to get what you want--- be that a college scholarship or just a hs diploma. When there is school dysfunction, many students are affected. Again, JMHO and experience, as I have worked in these types of school settings, including the socio-economic, low performance of school, and rough/dangerous social groupings. Violence deserves to be handled by law enforcement but there are many instances each day that don't rise to that. A powerful person or group can make one's life difficult. Doesn't excuse the actions of this young woman but it is important to note.

 

[al66pine]

MO AttyGen Bailey's Request for Info from Hazelwood.

School is not protecting anyone over another. These student records are protected by FERPA-- a federal law. All students have a right to privacy. If anyone wants to bridge that they have to argue it in court.
<modsnip>
"The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education." Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

@kaen Thank you for your post w info & link to FERPA.
@Chimera @Rolypolyoly

IIRC, MO AG's stmts to MSM re Hazelwood incident, Bailey made info request to school pursuant to Chapter 610* of MO statutes, aka an "open records act" or a "sunshine law."
IOW same the same type of request any member of the public or media could make.

In a MSM interview Andrew Bailey*** "claimed that the brutality was a result of an obsession with woke DEI policies and the soft-touch approach to justice under former St. Louis DA Kim Gardner and current Rep Cori Bush, a hardline progressive Democrat."(per DM**)
Ormsby, the atty rep'ing the school district "told Bailey that the requested records would be handed over by April 15 and acknowledged the Sunshine Law." (per DM**)

Bailey places blame for brutality on "soft-touch approach to justice under former St. Louis DA Kim Gardner." (per DM**)

Maybe Bailey is not aware that Kim Gardner was the Circuit Attorney for the CITY of St. Louis, not the Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis COUNTY, which is where Hazelwood school district is located.

Any prosecutions arising from the students fight would be filed by the office of Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis COUNTY.

Interesting fact: the current Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County is Wesley Bell, a graduate of Hazelwood East High School, which both students attend.

imo
_________________________________
*Missouri Revisor of Statutes - Revised Statutes of Missouri, RSMo Chapter 610
** Mar. 28 story Missouri Attorney General wants to charge school students as adults
*** Kimberly Gardner - Wikipedia explains
the bad blood betwn Bailey & Gardner who resigned her post.