Missouri AG blames school district’s ‘race-based policies’ for violent attack

By The Center Square via My Courier-Tribune

After video of a Black female student assaulting a white female student after school and off property went viral, Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey blamed the school district’s “race-based policies” for the event.

Several media outlets reported Kaylee Gain, 16, suffered a skull fracture, brain bleeding and other injuries on March 8. The video showed the Black female beating Gain’s head into concrete in an unincorporated area of St. Louis County near Hazelwood East High School. Government leaders and others are demanding the girl be charged as an adult.

“This is sickening and so difficult to watch,” St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, a Democratic candidate for the 1st District Congressional District, posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, while reposting the video from the account Libs of TikTok. Bell’s post was later deleted. “In Missouri, by law, our office has no jurisdiction. This is a juvenile court matter, unless it is certified and by law, certification is not our decision either. We pray the victim makes a full recovery. This is just heartbreaking.”

In a letter to the school district, Bailey, who is running for his party’s nomination for attorney general, said the absence of law enforcement – student resource officers – on the scene of the assault is “directly attributable to Hazelwood’s insistence on prioritizing race-based policies over basic student safety.”

Bailey’s letter had the incorrect date and time of the assault. Media reports stated the school district and police didn’t confirm the race of the students, nor whether race was a motivating factor.

“There are no written requirements for our school resource officers after school and off of school property,” Tracy Panus, public information officer for the St. Louis County Police Department, wrote in an email to The Center Square. “School resource officers and officers that patrol the school areas provide additional patrols during dismissal and arrival times for as many schools as possible.”

Bailey said the school district ignored Missouri law by adopting a “Statement of Solidarity,” which states it will “speak firmly against any racism, discrimination and senseless violence against people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or ability.”

Bailey’s letter said the district’s policy categorized and treated students differently based on race.

“The Missouri Human Rights Act guarantees every Missouri resident the right to be free from discrimination and the right to full enjoyment of places of public accommodation,” Bailey’s letter stated. “The Act also vests the Missouri Attorney General’s Office with enforcement authority where, as here, the attorney general has reasonable cause to believe a violation of the Act has occurred implicating a matter of public importance.”

Last month, Bailey sent letters to four school districts in the St. Louis area accusing them of discrimination. Bailey’s office is suing the Wentzville School District for alleged violations of the states’ sunshine law.

While serving as Missouri’s attorney general and running for the U.S. Senate, Republican Eric Schmitt filed multiple lawsuits against school districts regarding wearing masks and other medical precautions during the pandemic.

Hazelwood’s “Statement of Solidarity” mentions the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks and states lethal attacks against African Americans are unacceptable.

“This is an American issue, not a Black issue,” Hazelwood’s policy states. “As such, we all have a collective responsibility to fight against the ills of racism.”