The parents of two young children were already locked up in a police cell for eleven hours after they had complained about WhatsApp about the recruitment process of the teacher at the primary school of their daughter.
Radi producer Maxie Allen and his partner Rosalind Levine were arrested on suspicion of intimidation and malignant communication after a 'trivial' dispute.
CCTV shows six uniformed police officers who descend on their suburban house before they were led away for their crying daughter.
After an investigation of five weeks, Hertfordshire Constabulary finally concluded that there was no matter to answer.
Mr Allen, 50, noticed the police action 'Dystopian' and a 'massive over-range', and accused Cowley Hill Primary School in Borehamwood, Herts, of trying 'awkward parents'.
“I was just full of disbelief,” he said. 'It was just inscrutable to me that things had escalated to this extent.
“It was definitely nightmare -like. I could not believe that this happened that a government agency could use the police to conduct a legitimate investigation.
'We had never used insulting or threatening language, even in private, and always followed the right process. Yet we have never been told what this communication was that supposedly criminal were, which is completely Kafkaesque. '
In addition to intimidation and malignant communication, Mr Allen and Mrs. Levine, 46, were also accused of and caused a nuisance in school ownership. But the couple said that they had not been to the school since July, and these allegations were never explained to them.
They say that the police did not explain how their actions met the threshold for the other violations.
The problems began to brew in May 2024, six months after the school's senior lecturer announced his retirement, when Mr. Allen wondered why an open recruitment process had not yet begun.
Mr Allen, a former governor himself, hoped that there would be a meeting to explain the trial – but his questions remained unanswered.
Shorty after that Jackie Spriggs, the chairman of the Governors, said parents that 'inflammatory and defamatory' comments on social media had been seen and warned that the school would take action against anyone who caused 'disharmony'.
Mr Allen and Mrs. Levine were later banned from the buildings of the school for 'Casting Aspersions' on Mrs. Spriggs.
They say they were blocked for attending a parents' evening for their daughter Sascha, nine, and her Christmas performance. They started to e -mail the school to tackle the needs of Sascha while she suffers from epilepsy, is neurodivergent and registered disabled people.
Maxie Allen was arrested after he had complained about the WhatsApp group of a parents and his treatment 'Kafkaesque'
On January 29, Levine Toys knew for charity and took care of her three -year -old daughter, Francesa, when there was a knock on the front door of their house in Borehamwood.
She said: 'I saw six police officers standing there. There were two cars and a police bus. My first thought was that Sascha was dead. I could not think of any other reason why six police officers would be at my door. Francesca shrinks in the corner, she was terrified. '
Mr Allen said, “I believe the school was trying to use the police to close legitimate questions, and for some reason the police officer played along.”
Cowley Hill Primary said that the advice of the police were looking for a 'large amount of direct correspondence and public social media posts' that had become 'worried about staff, parents and governors'.
A spokesperson added: “We are always happy for parents to worry, but we do ask that they do this in a suitable way and in accordance with the published complaints procedure of the school.”
Hertfordshire County Council said that Louise Thomas was appointed interim head of Cowley Hill School for one term before a good recruitment process was carried out, adding that it was 'honest, transparent and timely'.
The Hertfordshire police said that the number of officers was needed to protect electronic devices and to take care of children at the address.
A spokesperson said: 'The arrests were needed to fully investigate the allegations, such as routine in such cases. After further investigations, officers were of the opinion that no further action should be taken because of insufficient evidence. '
