A Minnesota mother is now facing criminal charges, potential jail time and a fine after a video of her went viral. In the April video, she is accused of using the N-word against a Black child with a disability.
On Tuesday, the Rochester City Attorney’s Office announced that it had filed three counts of disorderly conduct against Shiloh Hendrix.
The criminal complaint accuses Hendrix of being “wrongfully and unlawfully engaged in offensive, obscene or abusive language that would reasonably tend to arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others.”
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The video that started it all
The social media video, which has received millions of views, shows Hendrix being questioned by a man who was recording her at a playground in Rochester.
In the video, he asks her why she called a child a racial slur. Hendrix accuses the young child she called the epithet of trying to steal her “son’s stuff.” She eventually flips off the man and repeats the racial slur several times while holding her child.
Rochester mayor responds
Rochester Mayor Kim Norton spoke about the incident, saying, “This was a situation that deeply affected many people, especially our communities of color, and caused real turmoil in our community. We acknowledge the lasting impact this incident has had, not only on those directly involved and across our community, but also in the broader conversations happening at the state and national level.”
Fundraising efforts for defendant and child
While many condemned the woman for her behavior, others defended her after she said her address and personal information were leaked online following the incident. As of Wednesday, a GiveSendGo page Hendrix created titled “Help Me Protect My Family” had raised more than $806,000 with a goal of $1 million.
“We are taking the proper procedures in order to stay safe from these constant threats,” Hendrix wrote. “I’m still very frightened, and I don’t think I will feel safe until we can escape completely. I am so grateful to all of you who have donated to my family. I never would have imagined that we would be supported to such an extreme.”
Hendrix has not commented on the charges filed and she is reportedly legally representing herself.
A GoFundMe page for the child who was called the slur has been set up. His family has raised more than $340,000.
What preceded the incident?
According to The Associated Press, an initial report listed the child as young as 5 years old. However, the criminal complaint describes the child as an 8-year-old.
The child’s father told police that his son is autistic and doesn’t understand social boundaries. His child reportedly took an apple sauce pouch from someone else’s diaper bag. The child’s father saw him take it and chased after him to retrieve the item. The little boy climbed up on the playground equipment to get away. Hendrix then allegedly called the little boy a racial slur repeatedly and grabbed the apple sauce pouch from him.
