Family of boy in Rochester racist attack speaks out; woman who hurled slurs doubles down

ROCHESTER – The family of an 8-year-old autistic Black boy who was verbally assaulted with racial slurs earlier this year is speaking out, now that charges have been filed against the woman responsible.

The Rochester branch of the NAACP read a statement from the family during a news conference Thursday thanking local organizations and law enforcement for trying to hold Shiloh Hendrix accountable, even as Hendrix herself appeared to double down on her actions.

“We see as a positive move for the Rochester City Attorney’s Office to prosecute the alleged perpetrator, and we’re thankful for that,” the family said in the statement.

Disorderly conduct charges filed against Hendrix this week say she “wrongfully and unlawfully engaged in offensive … or abusive language that would reasonably tend to arouse alarm, anger, or resentment in others.”

NAACP President Wale Elegbede repeated a call for further charges from the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office against Hendrix.

The boy’s family and Hendrix were at Soldiers Field Memorial Park at the end of April when the boy’s father and Hendrix both caught him reaching into Hendrix’s diaper bag and pulling out a container of applesauce, according to court records.

The boy attempted to run away from them both and Hendrix used racial slurs several times, causing the stunned boy to freeze. The boy’s father told police Hendrix angrily grabbed the applesauce away, and he was concerned she would strike the child, according to a court complaint.

The moment went viral in early May and drew further controversy after Hendrix started an online fundraiser that raised more than $800,000 from people across the country, many of whom expressed white nationalist views in comments and usernames.

Elegbede chastised Hendrix’s fundraising efforts and her lack of apology, accusing her of hoodwinking people into giving her money for hurting a vulnerable child.

“Our children are sacred,” he said. “We’re going to continue to stand with the family … and we demand accountability that justice is not just symbolic but real.”

Officials with the Rochester City Attorney’s Office said the case took a long time to put together in part because it involved a large amount of evidence and could have resulted in charges from multiple jurisdictions.

Disorderly conduct charges could result in up to 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine, though the maximum punishment is unlikely under Minnesota sentencing guidelines.

Two people have been charged with felonies for attempting to steal more than $340,000 raised by the NAACP by falsely representing themselves. Ayan Abdiweli Othowaa, 23, and Abdirahman Omar Yusuf, 20, are believed to be one of two groups that attempted to pose as the victim’s family, according to court records.

Hendrix posted an update to her fundraising site Thursday in response to the charges against her that included several racially charged statements, saying she and her family had bought land with the money raised from the incident, moved to a place with “excellent demographics,” and that she and her children’s father are teaching their kids “the importance of preserving our existence.”

Hendrix wrote she plans to fight the charges.

“In the United States, we are protected by the First Amendment, and no amount of hurt feelings can change that,” she wrote.

Elegbede condemned Hendrix’s response, saying the child’s disability is apparent and Hendrix should have known better than to hurl slurs at him. Elegbede said the family has needed support to deal with the undue attention from the incident, as well as the trauma the boy experienced.