Parents arrested for criticizing school on WhatsApp
- Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine were arrested after expressing concerns about the recruitment process at Cowley Hill Primary School.
- The couple faced accusations of harassment and malicious communications, leading to their detention for eight hours.
- After a five-week investigation, police concluded that no further action would be taken due to insufficient evidence.
In January 2025, Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine were arrested by six police officers in Hertfordshire, England, after they voiced complaints regarding the recruitment process of a head teacher at Cowley Hill Primary School. Their concerns were communicated via multiple emails and comments within a parents' WhatsApp group. The couple, whose nine-year-old daughter Sascha has disabilities, faced accusations of harassment and malicious communications, which led to their detention in front of their daughter for eight hours. They were fingerprinted, searched, and kept in a police cell, amplifying their distress about the situation. The incident occurred after the couple previously critiqued the school's administration and allegedly made disparaging remarks about the chair of governors. As a result, they were banned from entering the school's premises and restricted to email communication with the school, leading to heightened tensions. The school had raised concerns about the high volume of emails and the nature of the comments made on social media, indicating that it upset staff, other parents, and governors. Following a thorough investigation spanning five weeks, Hertfordshire police concluded that there was insufficient evidence to pursue any charges against Allen and Levine. The couple expressed dismay at how the situation escalated and criticized the school for not addressing their concerns about transparency adequately. They emphasized that their desire for more openness regarding school governance was misinterpreted, leading to drastic action against them. The school’s administration defended its stance by stating they had sought police advice due to an influx of direct correspondence and alarming social media posts from the couple. Despite the couple's intention to raise legitimate inquiries, they felt that their concerns were unjustly met with harassment allegations. In the aftermath, Allen and Levine felt compelled to remove their daughter from the school to ensure her wellbeing amidst the ongoing conflicts, raising questions about parental rights and freedom of expression in the context of school governance.