Rochester, Minn. — A jury in Olmsted County District Court found Shiloh Hendrix, 37, not guilty of one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct related to a child but guilty of a second count involving a man who filmed her during an April 2025 incident at a Rochester playground.
The case stemmed from an encounter at Roy Sutherland Playground in Soldiers Field Park on April 28, 2025. According to testimony and court records, an 8-year-old Black boy with autism took an applesauce packet from Hendrix’s diaper bag. Hendrix responded by using a racial slur directed at the child. A bystander recorded the aftermath, during which Hendrix repeated the slur while confronting the man filming.
Prosecutors argued the language constituted “fighting words” likely to provoke violence, meeting the criteria for disorderly conduct under Minnesota law. The defense contended the speech was protected under the First Amendment.
On July 23, 2026, the jury delivered a split verdict: acquittal on the count tied to the child and conviction on the count involving the man operating the camera.
Judge Christa M. Daily imposed a stayed 90-day jail sentence, supervised probation, 200 hours of community service, and a $1,000 fine.
Hendrix had faced up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine per count. One of three original charges was previously dropped.
The incident gained widespread attention after the video circulated online, sparking public debate over free speech, the use of racial slurs, and the circumstances involving a child with autism. Court proceedings focused on the legal elements of disorderly conduct rather than broader societal reactions.
