PARENTS’ ARREST Over School Comments Ignites Fury
— In January, Hertfordshire Police arrested Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levin in front of their daughter after a five-week investigation. They faced accusations of malicious communications, harassment, and causing a nuisance on school property due to online comments about Cowley Hill Primary School. The Times of London reported the incident on Saturday.
The conflict began in May 2024 when Allen questioned the process for replacing the retiring head teacher. By June, school governors warned the couple against causing “disharmony” and banned them from school grounds, allowing only email communication. Despite attempts to lift this ban due to their daughter’s epilepsy, tensions escalated with allegations of disparaging remarks made by the parents in a WhatsApp group.
In December, local police advised removing their child from the school, which they did in January before being arrested shortly after. The couple spent 11 hours at the station before release around midnight. Mr. Allen criticized both the school’s tactics as silencing dissenting parents and police actions as overreach without clear evidence of criminal communications.
Levin expressed shock at their arrest’s dramatic nature, fearing for her daughter’s safety when six officers appeared at her door unexpectedly. The case highlights concerns over free speech and parental rights within educational settings amid growing tensions between schools and parents nationwide.