A 19-year-old's attempt to use the restroom at an Illinois McDonald's sent her to the emergency room after she was violently beaten by a minor and teen who called her homophobic slurs.
"How it started was because I'm a lesbian — just because I walked into the women's bathroom, and I looked the way I look," the victim told CBS.
On May 13, Kady Grass took her 13-year-old cousin to McDonald's after a choir concert, she told ABC News. Grass, who is a lesbian and wears her hair short, was exiting the bathroom when 19-year-old John Kammrad and a 17-year-old minor approached her, using homophobic slurs.
Grass continued walking, cautioning her cousin to "not give them another reason to talk to us." They followed anyway, with Kammrad approaching Grass. "You're a woman, you're not tough," he said, according to Grass.
"I had a bad feeling about what was going to happen," she told ABC.
The encounter became physical, with the teens punching Grass from both sides. The restaurant manager reportedly attempted to stop the fight but was also hit. Grass fell to the ground and soon lost consciousness. She suffered a broken nose, severe bruising on her face and shoulders, and an eye hemorrhage.
"They were trying to kill me," Grass said. "It's so crazy that there are people out there that are willing to go this far, or even worse, just because they don't like who you are."
The juvenile suspect turned himself in to the Carpentersville Police Department on May 16, and Kammrad was apprehended on May 17. They face multiple charges, including aggravated battery causing bodily harm.
Two females who were accompanying the males face misdemeanor charges for stealing the wallet and phones of Grass and her cousin.
"This incident underscores the importance of addressing violence and discrimination within our community. The Carpentersville Police Department remains committed to ensuring public safety and promoting respect for all individuals," police said.
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
