Teenage Girl Assaulted at Hazelwood East High School Sparks Outrage and Legal Debate

A shocking incident at Hazelwood East High School has left the community reeling after 16-year-old Kaylee Gain was brutally attacked by 15-year-old Maurnice Declue in the school parking lot on March 8. Video footage of the altercation shows Declue repeatedly punching Gain in the head before slamming her head on the ground multiple times, leaving Gain with severe injuries that required surgery to reattach part of her skull due to brain swelling.

The incident sparked outrage on social media, with calls for Declue to be prosecuted as an adult on assault charges. However, a juvenile officer testified in court that Gain had a history of bullying Declue leading up to the fight, with Declue’s defense attorney claiming that Gain initiated the altercation.

Despite the severity of the attack, Declue was ultimately recommended to be tried as a juvenile due to her lack of a prior juvenile record and exemplary behavior while in custody. The officer overseeing the case noted that Declue had shown no negative behavior incidents, was respectful, and consistently followed rules, leading to the decision to keep the case in juvenile court.

Meanwhile, Gain is on the road to recovery with speech and physical therapy, according to her family. They have expressed their respect for the decision to continue the case in juvenile court, while Declue faces a first-degree assault charge and remains incarcerated after a judge denied the motion to release her to her parents on house arrest conditions. Her family maintains that her actions were in self-defense.