Overview
- Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen were arrested by six officers on January 29 in front of their young daughter and held for about 11 hours on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications and causing a nuisance on school property.
- After a five-week investigation, Hertfordshire Constabulary took no further action, having earlier argued arrest was needed to preserve records and because they doubted the couple would attend a voluntary interview.
- The couple will receive £10,000 each, with the force saying the sum exceeds typical case-law awards, while maintaining the investigation itself was justified and reporting no officer misconduct findings.
- The arrests followed a months-long dispute with Cowley Hill Primary School in Borehamwood, where the parents were banned after critical WhatsApp messages as the school sought police advice over high volumes of correspondence and posts.
- The case has intensified scrutiny of police responses to online comments and parental complaints, with civil liberties advocates urging forces to avoid using criminal law to manage speech disputes.