Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen had been banned from entering Cowley Hill Primary School after expressing their discontent in a parents’ WhatsApp group
November 17, 2025 13:52
A Jewish couple who were wrongfully arrested after criticising their daughter's school will receive a £20,000 payout as an apology from the police.
Rosalind Levine, a member of Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue, and Maxie Allen, were detained by six officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary in January.
They were taken to the police station, fingerprinted and held for eight hours before being released. Yet, after a five-week investigation, no further action was taken.
Prior to the arrest, the couple had been banned from entering Cowley Hill Primary School, attended by their then-nine-year-old daughter, Sascha, after repeated communication regarding various concerns.
One occasion saw Allen writing to the school's governors to share his reservations that an open process for appointing a new headteacher had not started, despite the outgoing head announcing his retirement six months earlier. He also asked for a meeting with parents to explain the hiring process.
Following his email, the school’s chair of governors sent a letter to parents, warning them about “inflammatory” comments on social media. The letter stated that any behaviour which caused “disharmony” within the school community would not be tolerated.
On a private WhatsApp group with parents of children in year five, Allen and Levine criticised the letter. Levine suggested the governor chair had “little spies” monitoring parents' social media, and Allen remarked that the school had no authority beyond its gates.
“No public body has the power to control what people say about it,” he wrote.
They then started writing to the school and, in one email, Levine asked: “What precautions had been put in place to keep Sascha [who is epileptic] safe in the swimming pool?”
“Swimming with epilepsy could be fatal without proper supervision, so I would like to see the risk assessment for this please.”
Levine told the JC in April: “Some people have the impression that we were bombarding the school, but we sent no more emails than any other parent in our position. Because we were banned and put on limited communication, I couldn’t just nip into the office like I might have done before. Everything about Sascha had to go through email.”
In December, a police officer issued a warning to the couple, and they subsequently withdrew Sascha from Cowley Hill. The following week, they were arrested on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications, and causing a nuisance on school property.
Lawyers for Hertfordshire Constabulary admitted this month, per The Times, that the couple were not clearly told the criteria of why they were being arrested, “therefore rendering the arrest unlawful”.
The force agreed to pay both Levine and Allen £10,000 each, saying that the figure was “significantly above that required by the case law and reflects the constabulary’s desire to bring matters to a conclusion”.
On agreeing to the payout, Allen said: “We’re very pleased Hertfordshire constabulary have recognised, albeit belatedly, that our arrests were unlawful.
"I hope the debate around our case has a positive effect on how these issues are handled in future. The police should not be a tool for public authorities to close down legitimate comment and scrutiny.”
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