Trouble at the Local Pool
According to the family, Jace and his 8-year-old sister Jayla went to their neighbor’s community pool, which was less than a two minute walk from their home, during a hot day this summer.
Source: WFMY News 2/YouTube
Apparently, they were visiting their friends who lived in the pool’s complex called Sedgefield Gardens. Sadly, their fun day at the pool didn’t go as planned.
What Exactly Happened at the Pool?
Since the incident, both Jalya and Jace have spoken to their parents, lawyers, and various media sources to explain in their own words exactly what happened that day by the pool.
Source: WFMY News 2/YouTube
Jayla told the press, “[Kimberly Jennings] slapped me and then my brother came and splashed water on her.” Apparently, in order to defend his sister, he splashed water on Jennings, but then things got even worse.
Kimberly Jenning’s Hit Both Children & Poured Soda on the Boy’s Face
Then according to Jace, after he splashed water on the woman, now identified as the property’s manager Kimberly Jennings, she took a bottle of soda and poured it over his face.
Source: WFMY News 2/YouTube
Jace reported that after throwing the soda on his face, Jennings also smacked him in the face two times.
Surveillance Video Confirms at Least Part of Jace’s Story
Thanks to a surveillance video from the pool shared with the media, people around the world have seen first hand that Jennings absolutely did throw soda in Jace’s face.
Source: WFMY News 2/YouTube
Though the video available to the public does not show Jennings hitting either child, viewers are still appalled by the aggressive way in which she threw the soda in a child’s face.
Jace & Jayla’s Parents Respond
As one would expect, Jace and Jalya’s parents, Robert and Joella Lee-Eury, are furious. Once their children told them what happened, the two immediately took action and found a lawyer to try their case.
Source: @jkeithlawyer/TikTok
The children’s mother, Joella, told the media that she would like “to see something done for justice for my children and any other children that she may have hurt or discriminated against,” and continued, “I want her fired. I want her life destroyed. I want her to have nothing and be nothing like she made my kids feel.”
The Lee-Eurys Hired Civil Rights Lawyers
Joella and Robert wasted no time hiring three civil rights attorneys to take on their case. The lawyers, Ben Crump, Harry Daniels, and Jason Keith, are now working with the family to sue for discrimination, assault, and emotional distress to the two children.
Source: @jkeithlawyer/TikTok
The Lee-Eury family, as well as their lawyers, want this case to go to trial so that Kimberly Jennings receives the justice she deserves.
Charges Against Kimberly Jennings
After a short police investigation, Kimberly Jennings has been arrested and charged by the Greensboro Police Department with two counts of simple assault on a child under 12 years old.
Source: WFMY News 2/YouTube
But the family and their lawyers, though they desperately want Jennings to pay for what she did, are not stopping there. They’ve decided to also sue the residential neighborhood where the incident occurred, and where Kimberly serves as the property manager: Sedgefield Gardens, as well as their parent company Sedgefield Realty Company LLC.
Lawyer Jason Keith Has a Lot to Say
The Lee-Eury’s case against Jennings has certainly made headlines around the country. Though much of the media attention has come from one of the family’s lawyers, Jason Keith.
Source: WFMY News 2/YouTube
Keith, and sometimes Jace, have been featured guests on YouTube interviews and podcasts to get their story out there, stating just how horrific Jennings’ crime was and how seriously it should be taken.
Jason Keith’s Strongly Worded TikToks
In addition to giving interviews, Keith has been constantly posting on his professional TikTok regarding Jace and Jayla’s case.
Source: @jkeithlawyer/TikTok
Not only has he shared the original video of Jennings pouring soda over Jace’s face several times, he also has shared videos of the Lee-Eury family preparing for court, which have received overwhelming support in the comments.
Jason Keith’s Strongly Worded TikToks
The caption on Jason’s now famous TikTok video is quite strongly worded, stating, “A 60 year old white lady humiliated you while two men watched!! The whole world saw the video. Today we humiliate her.”
Source: @jkeithlawyer/TikTok
It continued, “We filed a lawsuit against her, her employer, and their National company. Today you were a King Jace… Today the world had your back! Today you grew up!! Today you fought back!!”
Kimberly Jennings Lawyers Plead for an Unbiased Trial
The world is certainly talking about Jace, Jayla, and definitely about Kimberly Jennings, and the majority of people are responding to say that Jennings absolutely needs to be punished for her actions.
Source: WFMY News 2/YouTube
However, her lawyers want to make it clear that according to the U.S. justice system, Jennings should be assumed innocent until proven guilty, and that the case is judged impartially without influence of the media’s opinions.
What Will Happen Next for Kimberly Jennings?
The Lee-Eury’s lawyer, Harry Daniels, told the press just how serious this trial is, saying, “She decided to assault them. She humiliated them and embarrassed him. There’s more layers to this. It’s not just children that are in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is a bad seed. It’s racist, prejudiced, and the apartment complex knew that she had a tendency to lie and mistreat Black folk.”
Source: WXII 12
The world will unfortunately have to wait for the court’s decision about the altercation to find out exactly what happened, and whether or not Kimberly Jennings is actually guilty of assault.