Legalectric

Late last month, the Red Wing School District canceled a Black History Month appearance by Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison:

Red Wing schools event featuring Keith Ellison cancelled due to concerns over ‘significant disruption’

That seemed a bit odd to me, stating “concerns over significant disruption,” but not really surprising as there was such an overtly racist concerted effort to generate uproar in early 2020 over “refugee resettlement,” which was really a non-issue here in Goodhue County, but the furor raised was INTENSE. The generation of concerns of “significant disruption,” and seeing the baseless presumptions on “our” Red Wing Convo page, it was something that needed a look-see, so I fired off a Data Practices Act Request to the school district. Remember, folks, you too can do this, it’s easy, and rewarding!! All responses are linked at the end of this post.

If I ruled the world… After reviewing what emails came in, the cancellation looks like “obeying in advance,” caving to ugly sentiments and name calling. Rather than cancel A.G. Ellison, “cancel culture, anyone,” I’d publish the emails to hold writers accountable for their actions. To cancel does give the message that this behavior is not only acceptable, but encourages it. There are no consequences to the writers. The District should look at the “values” expressed in these emails, and publicly state and demonstrate that these are not the values to be passed on to the next generation. There have been reports of racist behavior in the schools, from “fighting words” to literal fights, and racism is not inherent. It’s learned behavior. The District needs to address not just the specific actions, but the origins.

I’ve long thought that the racist and xenophobic beliefs held in this area go back to the strong presence of the Ku Klux Klan and America First, where Red Wing was regarded as a KKK stronghold (the links in that sentence are to some of my research, also forwarded to the Goodhue Co. Historical Society, which has a file on the KKK). That strong hold lingers today. We now have a State Rep and Senator espousing America First. What are we doing about it?

What I received was enlightening — so far 18 bundles of joy, with the emails ostensibly triggering the cancellation included — and there really weren’t many. Before the event was announced by the school Principal in the District’s School/Messenger service on February 21, at 5:01 p.m., there were NINE emails objecting… how did that happen? After that announcement, there were just a couple. What’s significant here is that the emails objecting began the day BEFORE the event announcement was sent out, and because four of the 10 objections (including 2 School Board members) were from outside the District, it’s a coordinated effort.

On to the emails

The first email of objection was sent by School Board Member Rachel Marshall Schoenfelder, the same Rachel Marshall Schoenfelder who is now on probation after pleading guilty to theft. Per another article, October 11, 2024 about her theft:

Here’s what she said, and remember, this was before the Principal’s announcement:

“… highly political, controversial, and divisive…” Does Schoenfelder recognize that he’s the duly elected Attorney General of the State of Minnesota? She may not have liked the election result, but…

Less than half an hour later, emails of people objection to A.G. Ellison’s appearance started to appear, again, before the announcement. This from Reed Boelman, the first of three to the high school principal:

And just after that, to the District Superintendent:

“indoctrination” and “here to push an agenda” and “… told by the school board that this is a bad idea.” Let’s see… it was not a School Board decision or initiative, the “Board” did no telling. It was set up by the High School principal, who had not yet announced it. Apparently Boelman received an email that not only informed him of A.G. Ellison’s appearance, but he “was also told that you were told by the school board that this is a bad idea.” Where are these statements pointing?? Rachel Marshall Schoenfelder, the first objector, remains a member of the School Board, but she does not speak for the School Board.

Next was this email objecting, again, sent before Principal’s announcement:

Also before the Principal’s announcement, an email from Lynne Torgerson, a Minneapolis based attorney who ran for 5th CD in 2010, and who was one of several Republican candidates who ran to challenge A.G. Ellison in the 2022 election (the others were Doug Wardlow who was General Council for My Pillow!, Dennis Smith, Jim Schultz, and Tad Jude.). Torgerson withdrew at the convention (A Legalectric post with some details). Here’s the email Torgerson sent:

Antifa? The non-existent entity, and as if being anti-fascist is a bad thing? “Sued business owners for simply working during the COVID lockdowns” ??? Those and other hackneyed talking points… and does she live in Red Wing, no longer in the Metro?

And the next one, also February 20th, before the Principal’s announcement, the most bizarre of the bunch:

Speaking of needing psych help…

Those are the emails received on February 20, before the Principals announcement. And now on to those received the following day, February 21, also before the Principal’s 5:01 p.m. announcement:

The first, from a Pine Island resident, one who testifies often before the legislature and who writes many Letters to the Editor:

“School is a place to learn, grow, and think critically.” Yup…

And also before the Principal’s announcement, another school board member weighs in, passively objecting:

“both sides” ?? “Our focus should be education and not social justice issues.” Oh? Not linked?

And then an email from the Treasurer of the Fillmore County GOP:

“… this person’s hateful words.” “You will be no better than the Hamas terrorists.” Ummmm…

Chronologically, here’s the next email, the Principal’s announcement, sent via the District’s “School/Messenger service: at 5:01 p.m.

After this was sent out on January 21 at 5:01pm, there were two objecting emails, both from Red Wing, I believe parents of students in the district:

And this:

I wonder what their kids think of these emails? Are these examples of the “family values” being passed on?

A.G. Ellison’s appearance was cancelled, and the Principal sent out this notice:

And this paragraph deserves emphasis:

I hope the school is taking the trail back to find the source of the spread to “places that would highly disagree with our guest speaker…” and there’s an obvious place to start!

Here are the post-cancellation emails received:

ALL RESPONSES TO DATA PRACTICES REQUEST – UNEDITED