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Kady Grass was brutally beaten at a McDonald's in Illinois on May 13, 2025.
Kady Grass is looking to bring her attackers to justice.
A 19-year-old woman who says she was brutally beaten at an Illinois McDonald’s because she is a lesbian is asking for the public’s help in ensuring her attackers face hate crime charges, local CBS affiliate WBBM reports.
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Kady Grass, who lives in Wisconsin, was visiting the McDonald’s restaurant in her hometown of Carpentersville with her 13-year-old cousin following the younger girl’s choir concert on May 13. Two teens she didn’t recognize allegedly harassed her because of her perceived sexual orientation as she entered the restroom, and followed her when she exited.
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While she said she told her cousin to “look forward, don’t say anything” and ignore the pair, Green admitted telling the pair she was a lesbian while flicking her wrist at them. The two teens immediately attacked Green, who quickly went to the floor, and she was pummeled and lost consciousness. The entire assault took place in front of multiple witnesses and was recorded on surveillance video, according to WBBM.
“I genuinely think that their plan was to kill me, and that they didn't care if they ended my life that day,” Grass told the outlet.
The Carpentersville Police Department further described the incident in a statement posted to social media.
“The altercation began when two male suspects made derogatory remarks about the victim’s sexual orientation as they passed by her,” Deputy Chief Kevin Stankowitz said in a statement. “This verbal confrontation escalated into a physical fight involving three individuals. The female victim sustained severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where she was treated and subsequently released.”
Following an investigation, two teens were quickly identified as suspects. One suspect was a juvenile, who turned himself in to police on May 16. The other suspect was a 19-year-old male who was taken into custody on May 17. Both suspects face multiple charges, the most serious being aggravated battery causing bodily harm, a Class 3 felony.
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The attack left Grass with a fractured nose and a hemorrhage in her eye. She is also suffering from PTSD from the ordeal and its aftermath.
Despite the severity of the attack and injuries and the context of the attack, no hate crime charges have been filed at this time. Grass is asking for the public’s help in bringing her attackers to justice, as well as dealing with multiple injuries.
“I went to McDonald’s in Carpentersville, and I was just trying to use the bathroom when I was called a faggot and brutally attacked by a group of men, all because I date women instead of men,” Grass said on her GoFundMe page. “I need help with medical bills or money for a lawyer to put this group of people behind bars.”
Grass has currently raised more than $13,000 after a goal of $5,000.
