COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ark. - A woman who was beaten in 2017 as a crowd of partygoers looked on with cellphones recording was awarded a $500,000 judgment by a Columbia County circuit judge Tuesday.
Kaylie Harrell of Magnolia, Arkansas, never filed a response to a lawsuit filed against her by Roxanne Atkins of Magnolia. After hearing testimony from Atkins and her mother, viewing a recording of the Aug. 6, 2017, attack and hearing arguments from Harrell's lawyer, Andrew Norwood of Conway, Arkansas, Circuit Judge David Guthrie entered a $500,000 default judgment against Harrell.
The hearing was conducted via Zoom video conferencing technology.
Atkins suffered a chipped tooth, broken nose and a closed head injury during an attack that took place at a private residence in Magnolia. According to documents filed in the lawsuit, Atkins wanted to leave when she realized Harrell was there because Harrell had attacked her and stolen her purse just two months before.
Norwood said the video of the "vicious assault" was shared and posted more than 100,000 times, which caused great distress to Atkins. Atkins was so fearful of Harrell that she left her Southern Arkansas University and her place on the cheerleading team before finishing the school year and moved from the area, Norwood said.
"Ms. Harrell, who still attends SAU, is a former member of the SAU rodeo team and is a current member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority," Norwood said.
Norwood said that Atkins feels "dehumanized and stripped of all her worth," by the attack and the crowd's callous disregard for her welfare and privacy.
"She's still battling the emotional scars, which truthfully are worse than the physical scars," Norwood said in an interview Wednesday with the Gazette.
Norwood said Harrell attacked Atkins, who was wearing a skirt, and knocked her to the floor. Harrell pummelled Atkins' face and lifted her leg during the assault, revealing her crotch to the cell phones recording the attack. Atkins, who was rendered unconscious, was taken to a local hospital for treatment following the assault but Norwood said she has not fully recovered.
"She's reminded of what happened every time she talks, smiles or eats," Norwood said.
She has been unable to afford repairs to her chipped tooth or surgery to address damage to her nose. Norwood said Atkins was allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor in Columbia County and was ordered to pay restitution but has failed to do so. Norwood said social media posts reveal that despite not paying restitution, Harrell has managed to finance life in a sorority house and a skiing trip.
Norwood said Atkins is unsure of what caused Harrell to direct such violence and rage at her. Harrell first attacked Atkins in May by punching her in the face as she sat on a porch speaking to an acquaintance, according to a police report. After assaulting her, Harrell stole Atkins' purse from inside a friend's truck and later texted her about where she had put it.
Norwood said he intends to pursue collection of the judgment from Harrell on Atkins' behalf. Norwood said he is happy that Atkins "got to stand up to a bully."