Woman who said racist slurs at Rochester park found guilty of disorderly conduct

A Rochester, Minnesota woman was convicted of misdemeanor disorderly conduct after using racial slurs against an 8-year-old Somali child with autism at a local park.

The incident occurred in April 2024 after the child took an applesauce pouch from her bag, leading to a verbal confrontation captured on video.

The woman was sentenced to one year of supervised probation and 200 hours of community service, while being acquitted of another disorderly conduct charge.

After the video went viral, she launched a fundraiser that raised more than $859,000, claiming it was needed to protect her family, CBS News has reported.

The child’s family said the incident left them feeling unsafe in their community, while a separate fundraiser for the family raised significantly less.