© Hertsmere LibdemsHertfordshire police are taking no further action against Maxie Allen (pictured) and Rosalind Levine because of insufficient evidence.
Maxie Allen and his partner, Rosalind Levine, said they were arrested and detained on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications and causing a nuisance on school property.
The couple said they had previously been banned from entering Cowley Hill primary school in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire after criticising the school's headteacher and leadership in a parents' WhatsApp group, according to the Times.
The school said it had "sought advice from police" after a "high volume of direct correspondence and public social media posts" that they claimed had become upsetting for staff, parents and governors.
Hertfordshire police said 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," they added.
Allen, a Times Radio producer, said six police officers turned up at his home on 29 January.
He 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."
Comment: In an interview with GB News the father explained more of the family's perspective. He went on to say:
"They had reported concerns. They needed to check them out. Why couldn't they just ask us in for a scheduled formal interview?
"Then we could at least have arranged childcare and not have our neighbours baffled and shell shocked by what had happened and what they had witnessed. There were two police cars and a police van parked on our road."
Allen had reportedly communicated to the school in May 2024 regarding the recruitment of a new headteacher but his queries were rejected.
The school's governors then reportedly wrote to the parent body about "inflammatory and defamatory" comments on social media, warning that the school would take action against anyone who caused "disharmony".
The Times reported that Allen and Levine communicated disbelief about the warnings on a private WhatsApp group, and the school subsequently banned them from entering its premises. After their ban, the pair said they emailed the school "regularly" about the needs of their daughter, who is disabled.
An officer warned the family in December, telling them to remove Sascha from the school, which they did the following month, a week before the arrests, The Times reported.
Allen claimed he and Levine were not abusive and were never told which communications were criminal, which they said was "completely Kafkaesque".
Comment: GB News reports more regarding the "Kafkaesque" detention:
"When we were interviewed by the detective towards the end of the day, who'd had no previous involvement with the case, he did not have any material evidence.
"He had a vague statement from one of the complainants, and that was that. I was imagining was that he would say, did you do this? And did you write that, did you post this?
"There was none of that. He offered not one example. So what happened between the police being contacted and them deciding to send six police officers to our house is a very good question."
"Our WhatsApp group in particular was a private group between about 12 and 15 people on it, with no one connected to the school," he explained further.
"Many people are on a street WhatsApp group and they might well chirp about the bins haven't been emptied or council taxes too high.
"They wouldn't then expect to get a letter from the council saying, I've seen your WhatsApps and then passing it on to the police."
Levine told Sky News that the incident remains "inexplicable" to her. "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.
A spokesperson for Cowley Hill primary school told the Times that they're happy for parents to raise concerns as long as they do it in a "suitable" way.
Hertfordshire constabulary added: "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.
"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."
Reader Comments
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and now a tid-bit from the Brave AI - I quote:
ps - 404 on that link proffered by the Brave AI - that is telling - and the police force ought be ashamed - fire them all.
To me, since 911, all I here is....[Link]
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Still - little acts of kindness are contagious and "win-win".....for both parties.
Of course - there are some for whom kindness should be shared - and others who simply don't deserve any - and there ain't gonna be no safe space for them if they don't stop all of this bs evident to anybody still thinking for themselves.
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BK
it more and more apparent that the ranks are being filled with automatons with little to no common-sense.
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Just saying, that at some point walking into an ambush over a shit-post on X isn't going to be a popular mission for cops to accept. It sounds like comedy to me, to think of the local police rolling up on Deep-G Lil'Dog to badger his ass over his social media.
I sure wouldn't want that gig, and anybody who does, won't be missed.
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I'm in the midst of a "loan application" ought of been a piece of cake - and I'm only getting it as a "contingency", but now they have asked for "tax returns" - and I'm thinking if they want that even though I got nothing to hide - I'm going to tell them to POUND SALT - cause I have accounts with this same institution with 5 times + of the contingency loan application request.
I figure - this should of been a piece of cake - but oh no - the bankers - they just got to get into every nook and cranny don't they - so, something I thought would be a wise contingency has turned into a pain in the ass - and I don't even really need these contingency funds.
So what do U think? - should I just "comply" with the request from some gal for whom English is not her native language who apparently has been assigned as the "loan officer" - and it seems as if she is just getting "kicks" out of making things more difficult than necessary - should I - I ask rhetorically .
Likely I'm going to tell the institution to go " eff off " and then proceed to removing all other funds from the accounts held with said in "trust"...poor service demands response and consequence even if "small-scale".
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Lesson learned on my end - and I'm looking forward to saying: ~
End of Off-topic RANT .....
BK
Happy April Fools Day - lots - I mean LOTS going on at the homestead and the getaway places!
4125 1203
Eff all these rules and cogs.....eff the bankers.
too many rules ruin everything - but I got funds - and I'm getting some property soon!
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Happy April Fools Day
4125
BK
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Tis a classic 2-1-2 hug - you will NEVER escape it.
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You could try to escape, but then I will turn into a bigger hug on U - you have revealed yourself.
Cause the whole premise of that statement is contradictory and suggestive - and really - get a clue.