Trial begins Monday for woman who called Black child a racial slur in Rochester

Molly Castle Work, MPR News

Jury selection begins Monday in the trial of a woman who hurled racial slurs at a young Black autistic child last year on a Rochester playground.

The incident, which was caught on video and went viral, led to Rochester City Attorney Michael Spindler-Krage charging Shiloh Hendrix, 37, with two counts of disorderly conduct. Hendrix has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count.

The jury will decide if Hendrix’s actions were unlawful and likely to cause violence, as the prosecution alleges, or if they are protected under the First Amendment, as Hendrix’s attorney Brian Karalus contests.

Karalus did not respond to MPR News’ request for comment. Spindler-Krage’s office declined interviews before the trial begins.

Walé Elegbede, Rochester NAACP chapter president, said everyone should pay attention to the Hendrix trial.

“It really talks about the fabric of society that we live in,” said Elegbede, who is running for Rochester mayor. “If we want a society where we have freedoms, where we have love and respect for one another, we can’t have adults going about traumatizing children. We just can’t have that.”

Learn more about the case.

Black children are often subjected to adultification bias.

More stories like this.