THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?
SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do)
- Children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel circulated an allegation that police were called because a Black 3-year-old was too good at soccer.
- Winter Park police said they responded to a dispute involving the parents rather than the child’s playing ability.
- The boy’s family started a fundraiser that reportedly exceeded $60,000 as body-camera footage complicated the viral account.
LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time)
America has reached the point where a three-year-old soccer player can become the center of a national political argument before he’s old enough to tie his cleats.
The controversy arose in Winter Park, Florida, where Nevada Pierre’s family said the gifted child was removed from a youth soccer game because he was playing too well. Police were called, and the family’s account became a viral example of alleged discrimination.
Enter children’s YouTube star Ms. Rachel, Rachel Griffin Accurso. ‘The police were called on a 3-year-old Black boy because he’s too good at soccer,’ she wrote. She called the incident ‘racist, sick, traumatizing, and disgusting’ and proclaimed herself ‘LIVID!’
There was a problem with that version of events: the police department described a different reason for its response. According to Winter Park police, officers were called about a disagreement involving the child’s parents and the league director, not because the child played too well.
‘Despite some social media rumors, there was never any suggestion that the call to police was prompted over the child’s on field talent,’ the department said. Nobody was arrested or trespassed, and officers treated the matter as a civil disagreement.
Body-camera reporting described the league director’s explanation that he rotated the boy out so other children could play and addressed concerns about pushing. The boy’s parents disputed that account and maintained that his ability motivated the treatment.
The family’s fundraiser reportedly passed $60,000, according to the October 29 New York Post column. Some donors were moved by the claim that a child had been treated unfairly. The tally is a dated reported figure, not a verified current balance.
At age three, soccer is usually about sharing the ball and remembering which goal to run toward. Instead, a preschool dispute has been turned into a national talking point, with the youngster caught in the middle.
One hopes Nevada gets back to enjoying soccer. And perhaps the adults with enormous social-media followings will check the police report before declaring the final score.
DBS WIRE SOURCES (I have all day)
- New York Post — Kirsten Fleming column
- OutKick — Police response and claims
- Daily Caller — Dispute coverage
- Daily Wire — Fundraising
