‘They kept kicking my head': Fight at north Charlotte school causes injury, suspensions
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Extra security was called to a Charlotte high school on Monday following a fight on campus, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools confirmed.
The altercation happened Monday morning, March 3, at Mallard Creek High School, in the school's cafeteria.
Students said a fight broke out among a group of girls, with one reportedly getting injured.
New pilot program could help improve parking in two Charlotte neighborhoods
Taleeya Daise said she was the target of the fight. In an interview with Queen City News, she said the incident started as a result of something with which she was not directly involved. She said the fight left her with a concussion, and her briefly wearing a neck brace after someone put their foot on her neck.
'All these girls had just (come up), one of them just hit me in my face,' said Daise. 'So then, I'm trying to defend myself at this point. And then a whole bunch of girls just start hitting me. And I got to the floor, and they kept punching my head and they kept kicking my head.'
Daise said the resulting fight, even though she said she was the apparent target, led to a 10-day suspension for her and the others involved.
CMS officials said they could not comment on student disciplinary actions.
Charlotte man found guilty of wife's death by neglect: DA
Below is the message sent to Mallard Creek families on Monday:
Good morning Mallard Creek High families, this is Principal Thompson reaching out to inform you about a fight that occurred in the cafeteria this morning.
This behavior is disruptive to the learning environment and is a violation of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Code of Student Conduct. All students involved will be disciplined accordingly.
I have requested extra security personnel on campus for the duration of the day. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority.
Families, we ask that you continue to partner with us in creating a safe learning environment for all students by speaking with your child(ren) about appropriate behavior at school and reminding them about the consequences of their actions. Thank you for your continued support of Mallard Creek High.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Axios
a day ago
- Axios
This crisis in Charlotte has killed 31 people in 2025
On a Friday in May, 73-year-old Bill Yoder was riding his recumbent bike, as the grandfather often did to maintain his independence. Traffic had backed up at the intersection of East Woodlawn Road that afternoon, halting a tractor-trailer in a fading crosswalk. Yoder attempted to move around the truck, as many cyclists might in that situation. But at the same time, the semi drove forward, striking Yoder. He died on the scene. The big picture: Charlotte's streets are becoming more dangerous, and Yoder's death has raised new alarm over the issue. Less than halfway into 2025, 31 people — including five cyclists and four pedestrians — have died in crashes, according to the city's latest data as of May 28. Including those that caused serious injury, there have been nine crashes involving cyclists this year — up from seven in 2024 and four in 2023. Only one case is reported for 2022 and 2021, each. What they're saying: Yoder was the father of a member of the Sustain Charlotte team, a nonprofit advocating for safer streets and overall smarter city growth. The organization is using his death to push for street improvements, arguing that traffic violence has become normalized. "If there was anything else happening in Charlotte that had caused 30 people to die, everybody would be talking about it," says Shannon Binns, Sustain Charlotte's executive director. The City of Charlotte has pledged to eliminate traffic deaths through the "Vision Zero" initiative it launched in 2019, investing millions in pedestrian crossings and hosting events to spread awareness of safe driving. Yes, but: There's no real goal or deadline for reaching zero. Charlotte doesn't have benchmarks for when it expects to reduce traffic fatalities, while the number of crashes is rising yearly. An internal audit, which Axios reported on last year, criticized the city for not executing the Vision Zero program effectively. Among the findings, it stated the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was not concentrating enforcement efforts in areas with the most deaths and injuries. CMPD made 7,223 motor unit stops in 2024 — a 41% drop from 2023, according to the department's annual report. Chief Johnny Jennings has said there's "not as much time to go out and enforce traffic as there used to be," and more resources, such as red light and speed cameras, would help. Charlotte City Council has not formally discussed the audit results, but the Charlotte Department of Transportation says a Vision Zero plan update is slated for the coming year. It may introduce new strategies to reduce crashes. Of 73 actions outlined in the audit, 43 actions (59%) have been completed, according to CDOT. Sixteen actions (22%) are in progress, and a small batch has not started, "largely due to resource constraints or shifts in priorities." By the numbers: Charlotte has recorded 76 crashes with fatalities or serious injuries so far in 2025, the Vision Zero dashboard shows. Between the lines: It's hard to pinpoint what's causing the increases. Potential factors could be the return of commuting since the pandemic, Charlotte's fast population growth and clashing driving styles from different regions, and reduced traffic enforcement. Exceeding the speed limit is the top contributing factor for Charlotte crashes, per the city's dashboard. What they're saying: Sustain Charlotte's Binns says city leaders aren't discussing the issue as much as they should. He calls it "a matter of political will." "If you are intentional about how you design your city and your mobility network, you can really almost eliminate these deaths and serious injuries," he says. "But you have to be intentional, and you have to be committed. They're not just going to go away." Zoom in: The intersection where Yoder died is flagged alarm-color red in the city's High Injury Network, a map of corridors with high rates of fatal and serious crashes. Despite being close to Sugar Creek Greenway and attracting many bikers and pedestrians, the area lacks dedicated bike lanes. CMPD is still investigating Yoder's May 9 crash. Once the crash report is complete, CDOT says it will conduct an engineering investigation to determine if improvements, like more markings or signs, are needed at East Woodlawn Road and Park Road. At the least, Binns suggests the city should add more paint and fresh bollards to create space between bikes and cars in problem areas. Those improvements would be quicker and less expensive than concrete changes. A more expensive but impactful option is "road diets," like the one starting soon on Matheson Avenue near NoDa. A 0.6-mile stretch, between North Tryon Street and Jordan Place, is being transitioned from four lanes to two to slow down cars and make the route safer for bikers and walkers. It's a $12.9-million undertaking. What's next: Mecklenburg County is working toward putting a 1-cent sales tax referendum on this November's election ballot. If passed, the tax would generate an estimated $19.4 billion over 30 years for transportation projects, not including potential federal matching dollars.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Eight-year-old girl killed in head-on Burke County crash with alleged impaired driver: NCSHP
BURKE COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — An eight-year-old girl has died and two men are in critical condition after a head-on crash with a driver who was allegedly impaired, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, troopers responded to the crash on US 70 near Sundown Road. Officials said a 2017 Ford F-150 was going east on US 70 when it crossed the centerline and crashed head-on with a 2022 Kia Forte, which then collided with the guardrail and overturned. Bicyclist fatally struck in York County crash: SCHP The driver of the Ford, 43-year-old Benjamin Jacob Willis, and the driver of the Kia, a 30-year-old man, were both taken to local hospitals in critical condition. Sadly, an eight-year-old girl sitting in the backseat of the Kia died of her injuries at the scene, officials said. Investigators believe Willis was impaired at the time of the crash, and charges against him are pending, according to NCSHP. The roadway was closed for about three hours during the on-scene investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Charlotte nonprofit responds to claims about housing site sale following death investigation
A woman and a child were found dead inside a hotel room on Friday. Now, a former owner of the building is responding to allegations about who they sold the hotel to. The building at the 5000 block of Equipment Drive was originally Heal Charlotte, a transitional housing site. Heal Charlotte's lease ended on April 7 and then transitioned back into its previous ownership as Baymont Inn, Heal Charlotte said in a statement. READ | 'Heartbreaking': Woman, child found dead in north Charlotte hotel, police say Later, the building came under the management of Heal, Empower, Love, Protect, or HELP, an organization run by community activist Cedric Dean. Dean was previously arrested following a dispute with a tenant, The Charlotte Observer reported. Heal Charlotte issued a statement to clarify that it did not sell its property to Cedric Dean: 'I hope this message finds you well. I want to address a deeply concerning and completely false rumor—that I personally purchased the Baymont Inn and sold it to Cedric Dean or his entities. Let me be absolutely clear: this is not true. Heal Charlotte has no ownership stake in the Baymont Inn and no formal or informal relationship with Cedric Dean or Cedric Dean Holdings. We received no funds from Cedric Dean, Cedric Dean Holdings, or the Baymont Inn. Here are the facts about our funding from the City of Charlotte: $2 million was allocated specifically for a master lease of the Baymont Inn to provide transitional housing. $250,000 was designated for program operations. The first payment issued was $1,075,000, which included: $1 million for the initial lease payment. $75,000 for operations. The second payment was $1 million for the second lease installment. The final $150,000 was reimbursement-based, released only after documentation was submitted and approved by City staff." WATCH: 'Heartbreaking': Woman, child found dead in north Charlotte hotel, police say