A police force has been forced to pay £20,000 in compensation after admitting it unlawfully arrested two parents following a dispute in their child's school WhatsApp group.
The Arrest That Sparked National Debate
Times Radio producer Maxie Allen, 50, and his partner Rosalind Levine, 46, were arrested in January on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications after what they described as a 'trivial' disagreement with Cowley Primary School.
CCTV footage captured the dramatic moment when six uniformed officers descended on the couple's suburban home, leading them away in front of their crying young daughter. The parents were subsequently searched and detained in police cells for eight hours before being released.
Following a five-week investigation, Hertfordshire Constabulary concluded there was no case to answer and took no further action. The force has now formally accepted liability for wrongful arrest and detention, despite initially defending its decision.
Background to the School Dispute
The arrests followed several months of disputes between the parents and the school, which had resulted in Allen and Levine being banned from the establishment. The couple maintained they had frequently contacted the school due to their daughter Sascha's special needs - the child has epilepsy, is neurodivergent and is registered disabled.
In June last year, the school lodged a complaint with police about the parents' social media campaign, followed by another complaint in December regarding 'persistent' calls and emails. After being warned by the parent body about making 'inflammatory' remarks online, Levine posted a negative comment about the acting head teacher and head of governors in a WhatsApp group.
In December, a police officer warned the couple to remove their daughter from the school, which they did the following month. Just one week later, both parents were arrested by Hertfordshire Constabulary.
Police Admission and Ongoing Investigation
Hertfordshire Constabulary has now confessed that the legal criteria for arrest 'was not made out' and accepted formal liability. The force agreed to pay the couple £10,000 each, stating the figure was 'significantly above that required by case law' and reflected their 'desire to bring matters to a conclusion'.
Despite this admission, the force continues to maintain its decision to investigate the couple, pointing to the volume of messages sent by the parents to the school. Chief Constable Andy Prophet had previously claimed officers had 'lawful reason' to detain the parents on January 29.
The force's lawyers argued there was 'reasonable suspicion' of behavioural escalation between December and January, though they acknowledged the couple had never been abusive or threatening.
Bryn Harris, chief legal counsel at the Free Speech Union, stated that police forces across the country should 'never repeat this mistake'. He emphasised that 'the criminal law is not a tool for protecting delicate feelings, or wounded reputations, and officers must not allow it to be abused in this way'.
A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokesperson confirmed: 'Whilst there are no issues of misconduct involving any officer in relation to this matter, Hertfordshire Constabulary has accepted liability solely on the basis that the legal test around necessity of arrest was not met in this instance.'
The case has sparked nationwide debate about the appropriate use of police powers in disputes between parents and schools, particularly concerning communication through messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
