Rochester woman found guilty of disorderly conduct after calling child racial slurs appeals conviction

A Rochester, Minnesota, woman who was found guilty of disorderly conduct after she called a child racial slurs at a playground is appealing the jury's decision, according to a court document filed Thursday.

The 37-year-old woman was convicted of one count of the charge earlier this month. Court records show she was acquitted on another count of the same and sentenced to a year of supervised probation and 200 hours of community service.

According to Thursday's court document, she's appealing the judgment to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

The incident happened at Roy Sutherland Playground in Rochester in April 2025. According to the criminal complaint, an 8-year-old Somali boy took an applesauce pouch from the woman's diaper bag, which prompted her to shout at and target him with racial slurs. The complaint went on to say the boy's father told investigators he is "profoundly and visibly autistic" and "does not understand typical boundaries."

In a viral video of a subsequent confrontation, the woman admitted to using the slurs, "stating that she can call him that 'if he acts like one,'" the complaint said. She allegedly also called the witness who recorded the video a slur. 

Following the verbal abuse, the boy's family said they "no longer feel safe" in the community.

The woman, after the video went viral, started a fundraiser, which she said was to help protect her family. It raised over $942,000. The Rochester branch of the NAACP started an online fundraiser for the boy and his family that raised $341,594.

The attached video first aired on May 23, 2025.