For IMMEDIATE RELEASE UPDATE
10 May 2024
The Uvalde Foundation For Kids
National Release - Missouri
St Louis, Missouri — In the second major announcement out of Texas today relative to the Kaylee Gain case, The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, a national nonprofit organization formed in response to the May 2022 Uvalde, Texas school shooting, has announced in an updated release Friday afternoon, that it will formally request the courts leniency in the case against Hazelwood East High School student Maurnice DeClue.
Declue is accused of beating student Kaylee Gain during an off-campus fight after school, causing her to suffer brain damage. Foundation officials stated while the gravity of the incident and actions by Declue should come with punitive repercussions, it does not believe charging the student as an adult will allow the true purpose of the juvenile court system to do its job long term.
Founder, Daniel Chapin noted in a statement, "Educational not wholly punitive responses are fully in order here, particularly when you are dealing with a student of this nature who otherwise would not necessarily have engaged in this type of an assault. We expect the court to give the juvenile justice system a chance at rehabilitation of a student who as even Gain herself, have become caught up in a culture of violence which much be addressed on a cultural, educational level."
The foundation had announced earlier Friday morning that it will be recognizing Missouri Teen, Kaylee Gain with its National Award for Heroism. This after Gain has showed what the foundation noted as a "Remarkable will to live," following a severe beating by another student during an off campus fight, causing her to suffer severe brain damage.
According to the family's attorney, Gain is currently wearing a custom helmet and will require another surgery to replace the part of her skull that was temporarily removed to relieve pressure on her brain. Gain is spending nearly three days a week in physical therapy and speech therapy and has testing scheduled later this summer to gauge the long-term impact of her injuries on her cognitive function.
The foundation noted that the high school student, injured in a March 8th 2024 fight outside her St Louis high school, joins other individuals nationally to receive recognitions for heroism through its award program, although this is the first student recognition for heroism granted a student not involving a school threat or shooting incident.
In an updated statement to its earlier release on the award recognition, foundation officials released - "The Uvalde Foundation For Kids does not honor Kaylee's decision to confront her bully the way she did. We do, however, honor her current fight to live! Her current battle to overcome her severe injuries is heroic indeed. How this student turns this around to prevent bullying & change others lives is what we hopefully anticipate. Sometimes a "hero" is not defined by someone who acts heroicly all the time, but rather that particular individual who reverses course & proves themselves as such, right when the world needs it."
Other award nominations have included Casey Orloski, out of Ohio, who recently was granted a student heroism award after reporting a bullet in his schools bathroom, which later proved as part of a school shooting plan against students, the Nashville Police Department, following their response to the Covenant School shooting and more recently officers with the Pittsburgh Police Department who ended an on campus school shooting threat earlier this year.
Teacher Shot By Student Reacts To Grant:
Covenant School Officers To Be Honored:
Pittsburgh Bureau Of Police Recognized By Uvalde Nonprofit:
Jennifer West - Media Relations
254 206 9089
The Uvalde Foundation For Kids
