Latest news with #CowleyHillPrimarySchool
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Police review Borehamwood couple's arrest in school WhatsApp row
A police force is carrying out a "rapid and thorough review" after a couple were arrested over complaints they made on WhatsApp about their daughter's primary couple, from Borehamwood, told The Times they were held for 11 hours on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications, and causing a nuisance on school Police said the arrests "were necessary to fully investigate the allegations" but there was "insufficient evidence" to take any county's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Jonathan Ash-Edwards, said: "There has clearly been a fundamental breakdown in relationships between a school and parents that shouldn't have become a police matter." The elected Conservative PCC has asked the Chief Constable for an explanation and said a review was taking place."While people should be courteous and go through the proper channels when raising concerns about a public service, the public should be able to express their views without worrying they'll get a knock at the door from the police," added Mr Ash-Edwards in a post on X. According to The Times, the couple said they had previously been banned from entering Cowley Hill Primary School, in Borehamwood, after questioning the recruitment process for a head teacher and criticising the leadership in a parents' WhatsApp school said it had "sought advice from police" after a "high volume of direct correspondence and public social media posts" that it said had become upsetting for staff, parents and father, a Times Radio producer, said six police officers turned up at his home on January 29 this told The Times: "I was just in complete disbelief. It was just unfathomable to me that things had escalated to this degree."He added: "I believe the school tried to use the police to close down legitimate inquiries, and for some reason the constabulary played along."The couple said they emailed the school "regularly" following the ban to address issues relating to the needs of their daughter, who suffers from epilepsy and is neurodivergent and registered disabled. An officer issued a warning to the family in December, and told them to take thier daughter out of school, which they did the next month, a week before the arrests, The Times father said: "We'd never used abusive or threatening language, even in private, and always followed due process."A spokesperson for Cowley Hill Primary School told The Times: "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 the school's published complaints procedure."Hertfordshire Police said: "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."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."Mr Ash-Edwards said the findings of the review would be discussed at an accountability meeting on Tuesday. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Police chief criticises force after parents arrested for complaining about daughter's school in WhatsApp group
A police force that arrested parents who made 'disparaging' about their daughter's school, has been criticised by its own police chief. Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine claim they were arrested by six Hertfordshire Constabulary officers in front of their young daughter and detained in a cell for 11 hours after criticising Cowley Hill Primary School in Borehamwood in a WhatsApp group. The couple were questioned on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications and causing a nuisance on school property before the force dropped the charges following a five-week probe. Jonathan Ash-Edwards, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, said the force should never have been involved in the first place. 'There has clearly been a fundamental breakdown in relationships between a school and parents that shouldn't have become a police matter,' he said in a statement today. The PCC said he would look into mediation services in Hertfordshire to help 'amicably resolve' disputes without police involvement. He said that members of the public should be 'able to express their views' without 'worrying they'll get a knock at the door from the police.' Mr Ash Edwards added: 'Following The Times' story, I have been in contact with the Chief Constable to ask for an explanation. The Chief Constable is undertaking a rapid and thorough review in order to provide that. I will be discussing his findings at my Accountability & Performance Meeting on Tuesday, which is webcast to the public for transparency. ' 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭There has clearly been a fundamental breakdown in relationships between a school and parents that shouldn't have become a police matter. I will look… — Jonathan Ash-Edwards (@JAshEdwards) March 29, 2025 Herts police has defended its actions over responding to allegations of 'harassment and malicious communications'. A complaint was put forward to the Professional Standards Department but the police action was deemed appropriate. Mr Allen and Ms Levine, who also have a younger daughter called Francesca, had already been banned from Cowley Hill Primary School. They said this came after making comments in a WhatsApp group that staff felt amounted to 'casting aspersions' on the chair of governors. Mr Allen, 50, a producer for Times Radio, said he and his partner had been blocked from attending the parents' evening for their nine-year-old daughter Sascha and also prohibited from attending her Christmas play. The youngster suffers with epilepsy and is neurodivergent and registered disabled. '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,' Mr Allen said. The couple said they had not been on the school's premises since July, the allegations were never explained, and that the police failed to explain how their actions justified such a response. A spokesperson for 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 the school's published complaints procedure.' Hertfordshire Constabulary told the Standard: '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.' Hertfordshire Constabulary has been approached by The Standard for further comment.
Sky News
29-03-2025
- Sky News
Couple arrested after school WhatsApp chat messages say they 'cannot fathom what happened'
A couple arrested after a dispute with their daughter's school say they "cannot fathom what happened" and have described the moment six officers turned up at their home as "inexplicable". Maxie Allen, 50, and Rosalind Levine, 46, from Borehamwood, were detained in January by Hertfordshire Police and held in a police cell for eight hours following the dispute, which included messages shared on a parents' WhatsApp chat. After Hertfordshire Police officers detained them in front of their younger daughter, aged three, their home was searched, and they were questioned on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications, and causing a nuisance on school property. Police concluded that there should be no further action after a five-week investigation, The Times newspaper first reported. The row with Cowley Hill Primary School started after Mr Allen complained about the recruitment process for a new head teacher. The school then contacted police after it objected to the parents sending several emails and criticising staff on a parents' WhatsApp group. They were also blocked from attending parents' evening. Mr Allen and Ms Levine's daughter, nine-year-old Sascha, suffers from epilepsy and is neurodivergent, but the couple say they were not allowed to meet teachers about her medical conditions. Mr Allen told Sky News: "When you watch the doorbell footage, you think, what are these six police officers doing? What is this operation? "Is it a terror cell, is it a drug den they're about to raid? No, it was two parents in a dispute with the school. I would like to know how [Hertfordshire Police] made that decision, that that was the appropriate and necessary operation." He added: "I don't know if we're the first parents to have an experience like this, but I hope we're the last." Ms Levine said the incident remains "explicable" to her and Mr Allen. "We cannot fathom what happened, it doesn't make any sense. We made a few inquiries, we had a bit of banter on a WhatsApp group, and then we were arrested," she said. In a statement, Hertfordshire Police said: "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." A spokesperson for Cowley Hill Primary School said: "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 the school's published complaints procedure," the school's statement said. A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council said: "Following the departure of the former headteacher, an interim head was appointed for the one term to allow time for a proper recruitment process to be carried out.
The Independent
29-03-2025
- The Independent
Police arrest parents for complaining about school on WhatsApp
Parents Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine were arrested in January for allegedly harassing their daughter's primary school, Cowley Hill Primary School, through emails and WhatsApp messages. The couple, who have a disabled and neurodivergent daughter, were detained for eight hours and subjected to searches and fingerprinting, but no charges were filed. The conflict began when Mr. Allen questioned the school's headteacher appointment process, leading to a ban from school grounds and events. The school alleges the couple's communications were excessive and upsetting to staff, parents, and governors. Hertfordshire police confirmed the arrests were made based on harassment and malicious communication allegations but concluded there was insufficient evidence for further action.
The Independent
29-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
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.'
