Children’s content creator Ms. Rachel publicly condemned a police response at a Florida youth soccer game as racist after the family of a 3-year-old player claimed officers were called because their son was too talented.
However, body-worn camera footage and a statement released by the Winter Park Police Department present a different account of why officers responded on October 24. According to police, a youth soccer league official requested assistance following a dispute with the child’s parents over his participation in the game.
The incident involved Nevada Pierre, whose family says he was repeatedly removed from play despite his abilities. While the league official acknowledged that Nevada was unusually skilled, he alleged that the parents became disruptive following disagreements over playing time. The family disputes that characterization.
No arrests were made, and police classified the incident as a civil matter.
Family Claims Son Was Removed for Being Too Skilled
On October 24, Nevada Pierre participated in an i9 Sports youth soccer session at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Winter Park, Florida. The 3-year-old was playing alongside older children, reportedly around age 5.
His parents, Don Pierre and Martasia Griffin, subsequently shared videos of Nevada dribbling and scoring goals. In their social media posts, the family alleged that Nevada was repeatedly removed from play because he was more skilled than the other children.
“They called the police on a 3-year-old because he’s too good,” Don Pierre said in one of the circulating videos.
The family maintained that Nevada had been benched or rotated out during previous games for similar reasons. They also questioned why a disagreement over their son’s participation warranted police involvement.
The family shared multiple clips on their Instagram account, @nevadaney10, documenting Nevada’s soccer abilities and their account of the incident. The following YouTube Short compiles relevant clips from those Instagram posts, including footage of Nevada playing and statements from his parents about the dispute.
Following the incident, the family launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Nevada’s continued soccer participation in a different setting.
i9 Sports later confirmed that it had offered a refund for the registration and initiated a review of the incident.
Ms. Rachel Calls the Incident Racist
Rachel Griffin Accurso, better known as Ms. Rachel, is a former teacher and children’s content creator best known for her educational YouTube series Songs for Littles.
Her programming features educational songs, language development activities, and puppets designed for young children. She has also used her platform to comment on political and social issues.
Following the circulation of the Pierre family’s videos, Ms. Rachel expressed outrage on Instagram and offered to feature Nevada on her show.
“I’m LIVID! Please sports people give him all the experiences and love. @nevadaney10 We’d love to have him on our show to share his amazing skills. I need sports people to show up for him. Recently there was a 1 year old boy who experienced racism during a library event with a puppet and we are showing up for him because we are puppet people 🥰 I need my sports people to show up!!! This is racist, sick, traumatizing and disgusting”
Her statement explicitly characterized the incident as racist and compared it to a separate controversy involving a Black toddler at a Connecticut library event.
She also called on members of the sports community to provide Nevada with opportunities to develop his abilities.
Other public figures, including former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, also drew attention to the family’s account.
Police Release Bodycam Footage and 911 Call
In an October 26 statement, the Winter Park Police Department challenged claims that officers were called because of Nevada’s soccer abilities, explaining that a youth soccer league official had instead requested assistance regarding a disturbance involving the parents of a player.
Officers arrived as the family was already leaving the park. Police described the family as cooperative and determined that the disagreement was a civil matter rather than a criminal incident. According to the department, the league had asked the family to leave and offered to refund their registration fee.
The department confirmed:
“No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park.”
The police account differs from the family’s initial explanation that officers were called because Nevada was too talented.
League Official Explains Dispute to Officers
Body-worn camera footage from both responding officers shows their interactions with the Black league official who called 911, identified in reporting as Thomas Hayes.
Hayes acknowledged that Nevada was unusually advanced for his age and frequently scored goals. However, he also alleged that Nevada pushed other children during games and that disagreements had developed over how much time he should spend on the field.
According to Hayes, he had previously rotated Nevada out of play to give other children opportunities to participate.
Hayes told officers that Nevada’s parents became argumentative, followed him, and created a disturbance after disagreements about their son’s playing time.
He requested police assistance in having the family leave the park and indicated that the league would provide a full refund.
The following videos show the body-worn camera footage from both responding officers, including their conversations with Hayes.
911 Call Describes Dispute With Parent
The 911 call, also released by police, provides additional context about why officers were contacted.
During the call, the league official described an “unruly parent” who was following him and calling him names.
He requested that officers respond quickly so the family would leave the park.
The call does not identify Nevada’s soccer abilities as the reason police assistance was requested.
Nevada’s parents have disputed allegations that they behaved inappropriately. They maintain that they were advocating for their son’s participation and did not engage in the conduct described by the league official.
Although the accounts differ regarding the parents’ behavior, the police materials indicate that the request for officers concerned a dispute between adults rather than Nevada’s athletic performance alone.
Ms. Rachel’s Previous Activism and Controversies
Beyond her children’s programming, Ms. Rachel has used her public platform to address political and social issues, including the Israel-Gaza conflict, immigration, racial discrimination, and LGBTQ topics.
Ms. Rachel has publicly advocated for children affected by the conflict in Gaza, including fundraising efforts and statements about the humanitarian situation. She has also described the conflict as genocide and called on “wealthy white celebrities” to match donations supporting Palestinian humanitarian assistance.
Her advocacy has attracted both support and criticism. The organization StopAntisemitism nominated her for its “Antisemite of the Year” designation and criticized aspects of her public commentary. Ms. Rachel has denied being antisemitic and maintained that her advocacy is motivated by concern for children.
In early 2026, she also apologized after her Instagram account appeared to like a comment reading “Free America from the Jews.” She said the interaction was accidental.
As of this article’s preparation, no public correction or clarification from Ms. Rachel addressing the police evidence in this latest event has been identified.
As of this article’s preparation, Ms. Rachel has not posted a correction, update, or clarification regarding the Winter Park soccer incident, and her original Instagram post calling the situation “racist, sick, traumatizing and disgusting” remains up.