Prosecutors are considering hate crime charges against two people accused of brutally jumping a lesbian at a McDonald’s in northwest suburban Carpentersville.
Kady Grass, 19, suffered a broken nose and a hemorrhage on her eye in the attack, which happened May 13 when Grass was visiting family from Wisconsin, she told Windy City Times.
Grass said she and her 13-year-old cousin were getting food at the McDonald’s when Grass left to use the bathroom. Both restroom stalls were full, so she walked out to stand by her cousin while she waited for the restroom to open up.
That’s when a boy who was with two men called Grass a f—-t as she passed them, Grass said.
“They followed me to the front of the McDonald’s, so I told my cousin to just look forward and not to give them a reason to talk to us,” Grass said.
But the boy kept calling Grass homophobic slurs and an argument ensued, she said. The boy then told Grass they could take the altercation “outside,” prompting Grass to hand her phone and her wallet to her cousin before heading outdoors.
“They never came outside, but my cousin overheard them talking about how they were going to kill me,” Grass said.
Grass re-entered the McDonald’s, and the boy got in her face and continued harassing her, she said. That’s when one of the adult men who was with the boy got involved by also stepping closer to Grass as they argued. The third person in the group stayed out of the incident, Grass said.
“I pushed the adult back—not aggressively, more so to get him out of my personal space,” Grass said. “And then he got back in my face and hit me.”
The man started hitting Grass from the front while the boy attacked her from behind, Grass said. Eventually, the McDonald’s manager came running out of the bathroom and tried, unsuccessfully, to break up the attack.
“All I remember is the boy pushing the manager and hitting him to get him out of the way,” Grass said. “Then the boy hit me directly in the nose and broke it, and I went to the ground, trying to find a way to protect more of my body. But the boy started stomping on my head.”
Grass eventually passed out, regaining consciousness after the attackers had left, she said.
“I had handprint bruises all over me and bruises everywhere from being kicked and stomped on,” Grass said.
Carpentersville police announced May 17 that John Kammrad, 19, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested on felony charges, including aggravated battery causing bodily harm. The boy turned himself in to authorities on May 16, while Kammrad was arrested a day later, police said.
Grass said she was relieved the two were arrested, but struggling to understand why they weren’t charged with a hate crime.
“This all started because I look the way I look and I’m a lesbian who dates women instead of men,” Grass said. “I don’t understand how hate crime charges didn’t happen when the whole argument and how it built up to the battery charges was because I am the way I am.”
Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser put out a statement on May 21 saying her office is conducting a review to determine if additional hate crime charges are appropriate.
“The allegations involved here are deeply disturbing. My thoughts are with Kady Grass and her family, and I want her to know we will do everything within the law to hold those responsible accountable,” Mosser said. “Kane County is a welcoming community, and there is no place in a civilized society for the alleged behavior in this case.”
In the meantime, Grass is raising money through a GoFundMe campaign to support her medical bills and legal fees.
If you or someone you know has been affected by a hate crime in Illinois, you can report it and find support through the state’s Help Stop Hate line at 877-428-8844 or online at ILStopHate.org.