Alaila Everett is speaking out after she hit an opponent in the head with her relay baton during a Virginia state championship race on Tuesday, March 4, leading to a wave of backlash and controversy over whether it was intentional.

It's been a chaotic past couple of days of I.C. Norcom's Alaila Everett since the Virginia High School League (VHSL) track and field state championships. In a video that went viral from the state championships,

The high school track star at the center of controversy for striking an opponent in the head with a baton said she “would never hit someone on purpose” as she grapples with “racial slurs” and “death threats” in the wake of the footage circulating online.