School ban put us in 'ridiculous position', says father in WhatsApp row after police admit unlawful arrest

A mum and dad who were detained by police after complaining about their daughter's school on WhatsApp, have said they feel 'vindicated' after the force agreed to pay them £20,000 in compensation.

Maxie Allen, 50, and Rosalind Levine, 47, of Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, were detained in January by Hertfordshire Police and held in a police cell for eight hours following the dispute.

They were questioned on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications and causing a nuisance on school property, with the case leading to a national debate about police overreach.

The row with the school started after Mr Allen complained about the recruitment process for a new head teacher.

The school then contacted police, which led to the arrests, after it objected to the parents sending several emails and criticising staff on a private parents' WhatsApp group.

The school claimed the couple were making "disparaging and inflammatory" remarks. They were also blocked from attending parents' evening and banned from entering the premises.

Hertfordshire Constabulary originally defended the arrest, but after a five-week investigation has now agreed to pay out £10,000 each to Mr Allen and Ms Levine.

The force said the amount was "significantly above that required by the case law and reflects the constabulary's desire to bring matters to a conclusion".

After officers arrested the couple in front of their other daughter, aged three, their home was searched.

CCTV footage shared widely online showed six uniformed officers approach the home before leading the couple away.

Commenting on the admission of wrongful arrest, Mr Allen told Sky News the decision was a "relief". He added it was a "vindication" and gives them the chance to get some closure.

The force admitted the legal criteria for arrest were "not made out" and formally accepted liability for wrongful arrest and detention.

It maintained that it was the right decision to investigate, due to a large number of emails and negative WhatsApp messages sent by Mr Allen and Ms Levine to Cowley Hill Primary School, which their daughter, Sascha, 10, attended.

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The couple had taken Sascha out of school five days before they were arrested, Mr Allen added.

He said: "We'd given in and walked away, and then five days later the police turned up."

Sascha suffers from epilepsy and is neurodivergent, but the couple said in March they were not allowed to meet teachers to discuss her medical conditions.

Mr Allen told Sky News on Monday the ban meant they couldn't have any "normal contact with anybody at the school".

He said: "We weren't allowed to call. We weren't allowed to go on the school site. We weren't allowed to have meetings, or a Zoom. We had to kind of navigate our own way through the education and care of our daughter, who has a disability."

He said the ban put them in an "impossible position where we couldn't have any more contact with our daughter's school," adding that they could only email.

They also used email to go through the formal complaints process, he said, due to the ban.

Mr Allen added that his daughter is now at a different school, where she is happy.

He said: "I stand by the view that trying to stick up for your daughter's education, health and welfare, being able to speak your mind freely about how an organisation is being run, and having the right to have private conversations does not justify six police officers turning up at our house."

In April, Andy Prophet, chief constable of Hertfordshire, defended the arrests, but added that "with the benefit of hindsight we could have achieved the same ends in a different way".

He said that the inspector who had approved them did not believe the couple would consent to a voluntary interview and also had to preserve electronic devices.

However, Hertfordshire Constabulary's lawyers this month admitted that the criteria for arrest under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act were not made out, "rendering the arrest unlawful".

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Constabulary told Sky News on Monday: "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.

"Therefore, Mr Allen and Ms Levine were wrongfully arrested and detained in January 2025. It would be inappropriate to make further comment at this stage."

A spokesperson for Cowley Hill Primary School said: "As previously stated in March 2025 we contacted the police following a very high volume of direct email correspondence and what we considered upsetting and derogatory social media posts, on Facebook and WhatsApp, from two parents.

"As a school, we welcome dialogue with parents, however the nature and large volume of the communication and public posts meant that the school were no longer able to manage using normal internal procedures. As a result we sought advice from the police.

"Cowley Hill School continues to put its focus on providing an excellent education for its pupils and will not be commenting any further on this matter."

(c) Sky News 2025: School ban put us in 'ridiculous position', says father in WhatsApp row after police a