Speaking with the police was the last thing Michelle Woods* expected at her daughter’s soccer game.

But that is exactly what happened.

Earlier that week, her 8-year-old daughter, Grace, had been at her homeschool co-op, where Michelle volunteers in the nursery. While playing on the swing set during recess, Grace’s name tag lanyard got caught under her neck as she jumped off the swing, leaving what looked like a rope burn.

Michelle had not seen it happen, but several other co-op adults had. When they saw the mark, they immediately informed Michelle of what had happened.

Grace was fine. No major injury. No pain. Just a red line on her neck and a story to explain it.

By the weekend, the incident was almost forgotten, until Grace’s soccer coach (a mandatory reporter) noticed the mark.

Without asking what happened, without calling Michelle, and without speaking to any of the other adults who had witnessed it, the coach assumed the worst and made a report.

Michelle had no idea.

So when two police officers approached her at the soccer field, she was completely blindsided.

The officers told her they were responding to a concern about an injury to her daughter. Michelle was shocked, but stayed calm.

She explained what had happened at the co-op, exactly as it had been explained to her.

The officers asked to take a photo of the injury, but Michelle, caught off guard, declined. She did not know what was going on, and did not know what to do.

The officers confirmed her name, phone number, and address. Then they left, telling her that there might be a follow-up investigation.

Michelle immediately called Heritage Defense.

One of our attorneys walked her through the following steps, recommending that she take a picture of the mark. Our attorney explained that we do not know whether it will be needed, but that it would be good to have.

Our attorney also said that it would be very helpful to obtain written statements from the co-op adults who witnessed the incident, ideally via text or email, and to ask them to include their phone number in case the authorities have questions.

Our attorney also informed her that she might hear back from either the police or CPS, but that if CPS became involved, she should call us immediately.

Still on the phone with our attorney, Michelle realized she had saved the police officer’s contact info.

Our attorney told Michelle to contact the officer immediately and offer to send him the photo of the injury and the statements from the other adults at the co-op. Or, if the officer needed to come in person to get the information, that would be fine as well.

Michelle called the officer and told him she now felt comfortable letting him take the photo. The officer came out and took the picture. By that time, Michelle had received several statements back from the other parents and teachers at the co-op, which she gave him.

A couple of days passed.

Then Michelle’s husband, Tom, got a call from the officer that the case was being closed.

The officer said the evidence clearly matched what Michelle had described. The injury was accidental, and the allegations were unfounded.

Michelle shared her testimony about the case.