These are the messages sent by two parents in a WhatsApp group which led them to be locked up for 11 hours.
Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine were arrested on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications at their home on January 29.
Five weeks later, Hertfordshire Police confirmed there was no case against them.
Video footage shows the moment the pair were led away by six police officers in front of their crying three-year-old daughter Francesca.
Their crime was sending messages in a WhatsApp group of parents about the recruitment process of a new headteacher at Cowley Hill Primary School, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.
The Times reported the messages sent that caused six police officers to barge into their home and lead them away.
In one message sent, Ms Levine wrote: ‘Can you imagine what the ‘action’ is? Hello, 999, one of the school mums said something mean about me in a school mum WhatsApp group. Please can you arrest them?’
Her husband then replied: ‘No public body has the power to control what people say about it.’
Another parent chips in and agrees by writing: ‘This should be a safe group where parents feel free to speak and share opinions about how they feel about the school and its actions and activities, nothing more or less, end of story.’
Others including another parent replied: ‘Everyone’s talking about it in the playground as well. It’s ridiculous.’
A parent who was a member of the WhatsApp group talked about the surprise of Ms Levine and Mr Allen’s arrest.
They told MailOnline: ‘I was utterly shocked when I heard that Maxie and Ros had been arrested – it was a hysterical reaction to the situation and I simply couldn’t believe it.
‘I’ve known Ros for six years and she’s the nicest person I know. They are both lovely, reasonable people, and for anyone thinking there must be more to this – there really isn’t.
‘There was nothing in those WhatsApp messages to take offence at – last time I checked, people are allowed to voice their concerns and criticisms without being arrested in this country.’
The drama started in May last year when Mr Allen, a former governor at the school, questioned why an open recruitment process was not carried out, six months after the headteacher at the school had announced his retirement.
Mr Allen had hoped there would be a meeting to discuss it but his worries were left unanswered.
Jackie Spriggs, chair of governors, then told parents that ‘inflammatory and defamatory’ comments had been seen on social media.
She said that the school would take action against anyone who caused ‘disharmony’.
This included Mr Allen and Ms Levine, who were banned from the school for ‘casting aspersions,’ according to Mrs Spriggs.
This meant they missed their daughter Sascha’s parents evening and also a Christmas performance by her.
The pair contacted the school over Sascha’s needs because she has epilepsy, is neurodivergent and registered disabled.
But an officer issued a warning to the family in December, and told them to take Sascha out of school, which they did the next month, a week before the arrests.
Mr Allen has accused the school of trying to ‘silence parents’.
The couple have now moved their daughter to another school and said: ‘What we’d really like to come out of this would be transparency – on the part of the school and the police as well.’
Cowley Hill Primary School said in a statement: ‘We sought advice from the police following a high volume of direct correspondence and public social media posts from two parents, as this was becoming upsetting for staff, parents and governors. We’re always happy for parents to raise concerns, but we do ask that they do this in a suitable way, and in line with school’s published complaints procedure.’
Hertfordshire Police said: ‘Following reports of harassment and malicious communications, which are criminal offences, a man and a woman from Borehamwood, both aged in their forties, were arrested on Wednesday 29 January.
‘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.
‘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.’
Hertfordshire County Council said Louise Thomas was interim head for a term and then a recruitment process was carried out.
It added: ‘The role was advertised publicly, and the recruitment was supported by external professional advisers. We are confident that this was a fair, transparent and timely process.’
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