A 19-year-old Wisconsin woman is celebrating a win after hate crime charges were filed against the two perpetrators who assaulted and beat her unconscious at McDonald's because she is a lesbian.
The attack occurred on May 13th when Kady Grass accompanied her 13-year-old cousin to McDonald's in Grass’s hometown of Carpentersville, Illinois, as a treat after attending the teen’s choir concert.
A group of strangers began harassing Grass when she left the women’s restroom, using anti-gay slurs toward her. As she tried to walk away, they continued to harass her. Grass told her cousin not to engage and not to say anything as the strangers yelled at her to “meet them outside.”
When Grass acknowledged to the assailants that she is a lesbian and flicked her wrist at them, a group of five guys jumped her, beating and kicking her in the head. Grass’s cousin, several witnesses, and surveillance video captured the assault.
Calling for hate crime charges, Grass said:
"I genuinely think that their plan was to kill me, and that they didn't care if they ended my life that day.”
Grass spoke more about what happened to her:
“They attacked me because I like women. All I did was exist that day. I went to go spend time with my family, and then, I was brutally attacked. There was nothing I did to deserve that."
Losing consciousness, Grass suffered a fractured nose, a hemorrhage in her eye, and severe PTSD after the attack.
Two days after the attack, Grass uploaded a TikTok and recounted the traumatizing altercation:
Officials arrested 19-year-old John Kammrad of Elgin and a 16-year-old juvenile boy; his name was not released due to his age. Both attackers have now been charged with three counts of aggravated battery, one count of mob action, and one count of hate crime. Kammrad’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 27 at 9:00 AM in Kane County.
Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser released the following statement on the hate crime charges for both perpetrators:
“These allegations are serious and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Everyone deserves to feel safe in public spaces, and no one should be attacked because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, as is alleged in this case.”
Grass has received internet hate from people saying she deserved the attack, but she refuses to back down from seeking justice. She thanked her attackers for what they inspired her to become.
After the hate crime charges were filed, Grass provided the following message in an ABC news segment:
“They made me realize that life is short, and that I should go after my dreams. I want to be an inspiration for someone else and people to look up to, and they made me want to become that... While they ruined their own lives, they created a new one.”
The internet has also rallied around Grass as she set up a GoFundMe page to cover medical bills and legal fees to pursue charges against the strangers who attacked her. With a goal of $5,000, the page has now raised over $74,000, with more than 2,300 donations.
Reactions to the attack and Grass’s ongoing fight for justice were overwhelmingly supportive.
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In 2024, GLAAD’s Alert Desk tracked at least 918 anti-LGBTQ incidents across the United States—the equivalent of 2.5 incidents per day. At least 90 injuries and seven deaths were reported from acts of violence motivated by anti-LGBTQ hate.
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