Kayla Hayes—the mother of 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony—stood before reporters Thursday morning, April 17, 2025, and broke her silence.
Her voice trembled as she described the anguish her family has faced in the wake of the fatal stabbing at a Frisco ISD track meet earlier this month, an incident that has not only shattered two families but ignited a storm of misinformation and threats that continue to swirl on social media and in public discourse.
“We moved here three years ago to give our kids a better future,” Hayes said. “But right now, I don’t know why we’ve been targeted and discriminated against.”
Flanked by her husband and supported by the Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), a Dallas-based advocacy group, Hayes said her family has been the target of a wave of death threats, online harassment, and false claims—some suggesting the family used fundraising money for luxuries, others questioning their integrity and even their right to safety.
Minister Dominique Alexander, NGAN’s president, stood alongside the family to call out what he described as “an unimaginable amount of hate, racism and threats” that have put the family in emotional and financial distress.
“The Anthony family has not seen a single dime from the fund created online,” Alexander stated, addressing rumors that the family purchased a new home, a new car, or private security. “They haven’t splurged on anything. Security detail was provided by us. What they have received is trauma.”
The fallout from the fatal incident has extended into every part of the Anthony family’s life. Karmelo, a senior at Frisco ISD with a 3.7 GPA, is facing expulsion just one month shy of graduation. The family is pleading for at-home tutoring so their son can finish school while on house arrest.
“This shows me that Frisco ISD is trying to push off the blame,” Alexander said, insisting the teen is still entitled to educational support.
Hayes said the family believes in the legal process and trusts that the truth will come out in time. She also expressed compassion for the family of Austin Metcalf, the student who lost his life in the stabbing.
“My heart truly goes out to the family who suffered loss,” she said. “To those who supported our family, thank you. We ask for continued support, patience, and prayers.”
The press conference, held in Dallas, was briefly disrupted when Austin Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, showed up uninvited. According to CBS News Texas’ JD Miles, Metcalf was asked to leave the premises by Dallas police officers after he remained at the event, prompting tensions to rise.
Alexander later commented that Metcalf’s presence at the event was “a disrespect to the dignity of his son” and that it was not the time or place for a confrontation.
“Actions speak louder than words,” he said.
The broader community continues to process a tragedy that has left one young man dead and another facing a legal battle that could define the rest of his life. But for the Anthony family, the most painful wound has come from the response—not just to the incident, but to who they are.
As Kayla Hayes held back tears, she reminded the public that behind the headlines are real families caught in complex grief, fear, and a search for justice.
“We’re still just trying to breathe,” she said.
ShineMyCrown.Com reported recently that Collin County District Judge Angela Tucker has been fighting off a wave of racist, sexist, and threatening online abuse after reducing the bond for 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony.
Tucker’s decision to lower Anthony’s bond from $1 million to $250,000 sparked outrage from conservative voices online, many of whom flooded social media platforms with racist memes, death threats, and vile hate speech targeting the veteran judge.
