Nationwide — Nadia Baxter, an African American mother from New Jersey, has filed a federal lawsuit against a school police officer who allegedly choked and arrested her while she was trying to bring menstrual products to her daughter. The case raises questions about the officer’s use of force and the department’s response, especially after an internal investigation cleared him and he was later named Officer of the Month.
Baxter filed the federal lawsuit on Oct. 8, accusing officer Michael J. Marsh of using excessive force, malicious prosecution, and fabricating evidence. The complaint also alleges that school officials and police supervisors failed to intervene or hold those involved accountable. According to Atlanta Black Star, the dispute began when school staff refused to accept the menstrual-hygiene products she brought for her daughter. Although the school handbook discouraged certain drop-offs, it also designated a cabinet outside the main entrance for parents to leave items.
After staff rejected the delivery, Baxter decided to take her daughter home for the rest of the day. As the girl approached the lobby, Marsh allegedly closed the door, forcing Baxter to move quickly to avoid being struck. She gestured for her daughter to come outside and questioned the officer about blocking her. The lawsuit says Marsh then approached Baxter, stood close to her and pointed at her face. Baxter pointed back without touching him, and the complaint alleges that Marsh initiated physical contact moments later.
Marsh allegedly grabbed Baxter’s arm, placed his hand around her neck and pushed her backward into lobby chairs. The lawsuit says he then put her in several chokeholds, lifted her from the chairs, took her to the floor and restrained her by the neck again. It also accuses Principal Angelo DeStefano and other school employees of failing to intervene. DeStefano allegedly grabbed or pulled Baxter’s daughter while a guidance counselor restrained the girl on the ground. Baxter’s attorneys argue that surveillance footage contradicts Marsh’s claim that she hit him with her hand or bag. They also allege that he did not activate his body camera and recorded the use of force as a “Take Down” instead of choosing the available categories for a chokehold or carotid artery restraint.
Baxter initially faced charges of simple assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. On Feb. 25, 2026, prosecutors dismissed the assault and resisting-arrest charges and reduced the remaining charge to a municipal nuisance violation. She pleaded guilty to that violation, but the lawsuit says she accepted the resolution because she feared the criminal case could jeopardize her job working with vulnerable young people and adults with developmental disabilities. The complaint emphasizes that she did not admit to assaulting Marsh. Her daughter was also arrested and suspended from school for allegedly assaulting staff members. After reviewing surveillance footage on Nov. 14, 2024, the school board allowed the girl to return on Dec. 2 under a success contract, administrative probation and restrictions on school activities. The lawsuit does not detail the outcome of her criminal case.
An Internal Affairs investigation cleared Marsh in April 2025, and he was reportedly named the department’s Officer of the Month the following March. On the day of the arrests, police said he had suffered injuries to his face and hands and stressed that the department had zero tolerance for such behavior in schools. Police Capt. Kevin Bielski later declined to discuss the pending lawsuit but defended Marsh’s reputation among parents, students and staff. Baxter’s attorney, Lara DiFabrizio, said her client’s daughter is now a college sophomore earning straight A’s. Baxter is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and a jury trial. The complaint also questions why the department’s internal review resulted in no disciplinary action, remedial training or other corrective measures. Her attorneys have requested the school’s surveillance footage as the case moves forward.