Woman convicted of disorderly conduct after using racial slur at playground
The case turns on where Minnesota disorderly-conduct law draws the line between protected offensive speech and punishable conduct under the fighting-words doctrine.
The case turns on where Minnesota disorderly-conduct law draws the line between protected offensive speech and punishable conduct under the fighting-words doctrine.
An Olmsted County jury returned a split verdict on July 23 in the misdemeanor disorderly-conduct trial of Shiloh Marie Hendrix, convicting her on one count and acquitting on the other.
Why it matters: The appeal will test how far local prosecutors may go in charging speech that offends without a true threat, affecting free-expression boundaries for every household.
Date to watch: Defense notice of appeal filing window closes within 30 days of the July 23 sentence under Minnesota appellate rules.
Sources:
- Minnesota Statutes § 609.72 Disorderly Conduct (2026-01-01)
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.72 - Rochester Branch of the NAACP Press Release on Verdict (2026-07-24)
https://www.naacprochestermn.org/s/7-24-26-Press-Release-Rochester-Branch-of-the-NAACP-Responds-to-Verdict-in-Shiloh-Hendrix-Case.pdf - Rochester Branch of the NAACP Victim Impact Statement (2026-07-23)
https://www.naacprochestermn.org/s/State-of-Minnesota-versus-Shiloh-Marie-Hendrix-Victim-Impact-Statement-Rochester-Branch-of-the-NAACP.pdf - FIRE Analysis of Hendrix Conviction and First Amendment (2026-07-24)
https://www.fire.org/news/shiloh-hendrixs-conviction-cant-be-squared-first-amendment - GiveSendGo Page for Shiloh Hendrix (2026-07-27)
https://www.givesendgo.com/shilohhendrix - Rochester City Attorney Office Statement on Verdict (2026-07-24)
https://www.rochestermn.gov/news/posts/city-attorney-s-office-responds-to-verdict/
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