Shiloh Hendrix, the Rochester woman caught on video using a racial slur against an autistic Black child, is finally facing legal consequences more than four months after the incident shocked the nation and fueled a divisive online debate.
The charges, announced Tuesday, come in the form of three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. Each carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
And yet, even as Hendrix prepares to face justice, she’s already profited enormously from the attention, raising more than $800,000 through an online fundraiser by portraying herself as the real victim.
Woman who used a racial slur against a Black child is being charged with three counts of disorderly conduct
Image credits: NBC News
The original incident occurred back in April at Roy Sutherland Playground in Rochester, Minnesota.
Hendrix was filmed confronting a young Somali-American boy with autism after he allegedly grabbed an applesauce pouch from her child’s diaper bag.
Instead of simply taking the item back, Hendrix went on a verbal tirade, calling the boy the N-word multiple times.
Image credits: GiveSendGo
When local Black man Sharmake Omar tried to intervene, Hendrix directed the slur at him as well, doubling down with expletives and flipping her middle finger at the camera.
“If that’s what he’s going to act like,” she snapped, defending her use of the slur even as the video continued rolling.
The clip, posted to social media, exploded in reach within hours. By the end of the week, it had been viewed millions of times across platforms, causing many to call for her arrest.
Image credits: WRAL
“This was not simply offensive behavior,” said the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Rochester chapter in a statement.
“It was an intentional racist, threatening, hateful and verbal attack against a child, and it must be treated as such.”
Hendrix launched a successful fundraising campaign, getting more than $800,000 in donations
Image credits: NBC News
Rather than apologize, Hendrix launched a fundraiser on the crowdfunding site GiveSendGo, asking for $1 million to “protect her family.”
“My name is Shiloh and I have been put into a very dire situation. I recently had a kid steal from my 18-month-old son’s diaper bag at a park,” she wrote.
Image credits: GiveSendGo
“I called the kid out for what he was.
Another man, who we recently found out has had a history with law enforcement, proceeded to record me and follow me to my car. He then posted these videos online which has caused my family, and myself, great turmoil.”
Image credits: FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
She claimed she had been harassed, doxxed, and needed to leave Rochester due to backlash.
Donations began pouring in immediately. By June, she had raised over $525,000. As of this week, the total has surpassed $800,000.
Image credits: FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
The fundraiser page’s co-founder, Jacob Wells, confirmed the site would not block the campaign or withhold funds.
However, he said the company had to conduct a rigorous internal review, which led them to disable comments after supporters began leaving racist and white nationalist messages.
Rochester authorities condemned the incident and acknowledged its lasting impact on the community
Image credits: WRAL
On Tuesday, the Rochester City Attorney’s Office announced that Hendrix would be charged by summons.
The criminal complaint states she used “offensive, obscene, or abusive language that would reasonably tend to arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others.”
Image credits: WRAL
Hendrix is expected to appear in court via Zoom on October 29. Authorities believe she may have relocated from Rochester. As of now, she is believed to be representing herself.
A city spokesperson added that it is unlikely she will qualify for a public defender due to the amount of money she raised. “Eligibility for a public defender is determined by the court based on financial status.”
The announcement of charges elicited strong responses across Minnesota.
“This was a situation that deeply affected many people, especially our communities of color,” said Rochester Mayor Kim Norton.
“We acknowledge the lasting impact this incident has had, not only on those directly involved and across our community, but also in the broader conversations happening at the state and national level.”
Additional details are expected to be shared during a press conference scheduled for tomorrow (August 28).