PITTSBURGH — A Homewood mother says she has pulled her five children from a local youth center and plans to pursue legal action after a fight involving her 12-year-old daughter.
Alexis Rodgers said she was devastated after seeing a video of an April 30 altercation involving her daughter near the Promise Center in Homewood.
“I didn’t want to see neither one of them children fight, but what hurt me was the humiliation for my daughter,” Rodgers said.
The video appears to show two girls fighting while an adult can be heard encouraging the altercation and advising other children not to record it.
“I was furious. I wanted to react violently, but then I checked myself,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers alleges the fight was part of a larger pattern of bullying that began years ago and involved multiple incidents concerning her daughter.
“The more I would speak on it, we got ignored,” Rodgers said. “They would cover up stuff or ignore it. The matters were getting worse.”
Channel 11 asked Promise Center Executive Director Nate Goodson about the allegations.
His statement is below:
“Nathaniel Goodson would like to address reports concerning an altercation involving his daughter, that was initiated by the individual claiming this incident in the alley on Multi Way in Homewood.
Mr. Goodson was not present during the incident and had no prior knowledge that an altercation had occurred. He was unaware of the circumstances surrounding the event at the time it took place.
Mr. Goodson does not condone violence in any form and believes that conflicts should be resolved peacefully and respectfully. He has consistently supported positive youth development, accountability, and safe environments for all children and families.
Out of respect for the individuals involved and because this matter concerns minors, Mr. Goodson will not comment further on specific details. His focus remains on supporting constructive solutions and ensuring the well-being of all young people involved.
Nathaniel Goodson appreciates the community’s understanding and encourages everyone to allow the appropriate parties to address the matter responsibly.”
Rodgers maintains the conflict stemmed from bullying that she says lasted at least three years.
“That video of my daughter and his daughter had been led up from the bullying from the day we started,” she said.
Rodgers said leaving the center has been difficult because she and her children spent years there, but she believes it was necessary.
“Everything I did my best and felt like I got stabbed in the back,” she said.
Rodgers said she has since removed all five of her children from the center and intends to seek legal action.
It remains unclear what affiliation the adult heard in the video has with the center.
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