"Before it catapulted a small school community in London's commuter belt into the centre of a global news story, the year-four class WhatsApp group at Cowley Hill school in Borehamwood was unremarkable a place of snide comments, reminders about non-uniform day and flustered messages about being late for the school run. It was mum gossip, you know? said one member, Sarah. A bit juicy, but it wasn't anything nasty."
"The saga was covered around the world, discussed in parliament and drew the attention of Elon Musk on X, who appears to have viewed it as grounds for a political revolution. In its own thoroughly improbable way, it raised a question that might feel familiar to many whose phones get overtaken by the school group chat: what's the difference between a concerned parent, a busybody and someone who should face the full force of the law? Inevitably, it also featured a doorbell cam."
"Parent 1 Must be something else or they've sent it in general to everyone as a shut up and get on with it Rosalind Maybe there's other stuff too doing on. No idea. But what I do know is they can't control what anyone says. Anywhere. Parent 1 Everyone's talking about it on the playground aswell! It's ridiculous Rosalind Haha! I'm also pretty sure [name] didn't write that letter. She hasn't got a clue about anything."
A year-four class WhatsApp group at Cowley Hill school in Borehamwood contained snide comments, reminders about non-uniform day and flustered messages about the school run. A conversation in the unofficial parent chat escalated and culminated in the arrest of two parents in Hertfordshire. The arrests sparked fierce debate over police overreach, the right to free speech and the relationship between schools and parents, and attracted international attention including commentary on X. The episode featured a doorbell camera. The controversy fractured local social life: many parents stopped talking, felt unable to voice opinions, and perceived a return to playground divisions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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