A 37-year-old Minnesota woman was convicted on one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and acquitted on another charge stemming from an incident on a playground that we detailed previously on our blog. The ruling capped off a four-day trail that drew national attention and community protests.
The case all began back in April of 2025 at a playground in Rochester’s Soldiers Field Park. According to testimony, and 8-year-old Black child with intellectual disabilities reached into Shiloh Hendrix’s diaper bag and took an applesauce pouch. Hendrix went up to the child, took the pouch back and repeatedly used the N-word towards the child.
A black bystander began filing the encounter and confronted Hendrix. She then began directing her anger towards the bystander, continuing to hurl racial slurs at the man. The footage was later uploaded to social media, where it went viral and attracted national attention.
Found Guilty
Hendrix was found not guilty on one charge based on her interaction with the child. The defense successfully argued that her initial reaction to the child did not meet the legal definition of inciting immediate violence. However, she was convicted on count two, which involved her interaction with the filming bystander. The jury agreed that hurling slurs at an adult bystander constituted “fighting words” intended to provoke a violent reaction.
The judge sentenced Hendrix to a 90-day stayed jail sentence, a $1,000 fine and 200 hours of community service. As we’ve discussed previously on our blog about stayed sentences, Hendrix will not have to serve jail time unless she violates the terms of her supervised probation. Her attorney said they plan to appeal the verdict.
The case drew national attention and some uproar after Hendrix launched a crowdfunding campaign after claiming she was “doxxed” after the video appeared. The campaign raised early $900,000, with many donations reportedly being tied to white nationalist groups. A separate crowdfunding campaign for the boy and his family raised roughly $340,000.
We’ll keep tabs on the appeal, but know that if you ever find yourself in need of legal representation for a criminal matter in the Twin Cities area, you can turn to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm. We hope it’s not for hurling racial slurs at children though. For more information, or to set up a free case review session, connect with our team today by calling (952) 224-2277.
