Parents arrested for complaining about school in Whatsapp group
A couple have criticised police after they were arrested for making complaints about their daughter's primary school.
Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine say they were detained by six Hertfordshire police officers in front of their young daughter on 29 January after they were arrested on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications, and causing a nuisance on school property.
They told The Times they were fingerprinted and searched, before being left in a police cell for eight hours. But no further action was taken following a five-week investigation.
The couple said the arrest came after their nine-year-old daughter Sascha's school, Cowley Hill Primary School, in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, raised objections over them sending multiple emails and raising criticisms on a parents' WhatsApp group.
They said they had previously been blocked from entering the school after taking issue with the process for appointing a head teacher and 'casting aspersions' on the chair of governors. They said this meant they were not allowed to attend Sascha's parents' evening, nor her Christmas performance. The said the ban also meant they couldn't provide crucial medical information to teachers, relating to their child, who is disabled, neurodivergent, and has epilepsy.
Mr Allen, who is a producer at Times Radio, condemned Hertfordshire police for its 'massive overreach' and Cowley Hill primary for attempting to 'silence awkward parents'.
He said: 'It was absolutely nightmarish. I couldn't believe this was happening, that a public authority could use the police to close down a legitimate inquiry.
'We'd never used abusive or threatening language, even in private, and always followed due process. Yet we have never even been told what these communications were that were supposedly criminal, which is completely Kafkaesque.'
Cowley Hill primary told The Times that it 'sought advice from the police following a high volume of direct correspondence and public social media posts'.
The couple said the arrests came after Mr Allen, who had until recently been on the board of governors, had written to school governors in May 2024 wanting answers over why an open recruitment process had not been initiated after the head teacher announced his retirement half a year earlier. He said he hoped for more transparency from the school, but instead he said his questions were rebuffed.
The couple said the chair of governors then wrote to the parent body warning that the school would take action against any 'inflammatory and defamatory' comments made on social media.
Mr Allen and Ms Levine expressed their shock at this in a private WhatsApp group with other parents, which they said prompted a direct warning from the chair of governors over 'inflammatory and disparaging comments made on social media'.
The couple said they were then only allowed to correspond with the school over email, but the school later asked for advice from Hertfordshire police over the number of emails they were sending. The couple said they were issued with a warning and were instructed to take Sascha out of the school, which they did. They were arrested a week later.
Cowley Hill Primary School told The Times: 'We sought advice from the police following a high volume of direct correspondence and public social media posts from two parents, as this was becoming upsetting for staff, parents and governors. We're always happy for parents to raise concerns, but we do ask that they do this in a suitable way, and in line with school's published complaints procedure.'
A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Constabulary told The Independent: 'Following reports of harassment and malicious communications, which are criminal offences, a man and a woman from Borehamwood, both aged in their 40s, were arrested on Wednesday 29 January.
'The arrests were necessary to fully investigate the allegations as is routine in these types of matters. Following further investigations, officers deemed that no further action should be taken due to insufficient evidence.
'In relation to the police visit on 20 December, a complaint was submitted which was reviewed by our Professional Standards Department. It was deemed that the service provided by officers was appropriate.'
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