Rochester Golf and Country Club cancels 'crime crisis' event after facing backlash

An event promoted as a discussion about Rochester’s “crime crisis” has been canceled in the wake of scrutiny over the organizer’s history.

The Center of the American Experiment, a conservative think tank based out of the Twin Cities, had planned to host a ticketed event dubbed “Crime Crisis: Rochester” on Tuesday at the Rochester Golf & Country Club.

The event was set to include a discussion with Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson, Rochester Police Chief Jim Franklin, and Jeff Van Nest, a former FBI agent who now works as a public safety policy fellow for CAE.

But in the 11th hour, the country club scrapped the event after some members objected to the presence of the group, which has held other events at the club in the past, including one in June focused on education.

Erin Nystrom, a club member who organized a petition calling for the cancellation of the policing panel, said the June event — part of CAE’s “Raise Our Standards Tour” — was designed to sow division and undermine public schools. She directly linked the rhetoric of the event to ensuing confrontations at Rochester School Board meetings.

During the event, CAE fellow Catrin Wigfall made the misleading claim that “critical race theory” was being introduced to Minnesota’s school systems and compared efforts labeled as “diversity” and “inclusion” to Marxism, according to a Post Bulletin report from the time.

“The repercussions of [the June event] were devastating to our community,” said Nystrom. “The fall-out included chaotic school board meetings where individuals disparaged and mislabeled DEI work in the schools.”

Nystrom added that the opposition from her and other members was not in response to the presence of law enforcement. “We support and welcome community dialogue with local law enforcement,” she said. “We also celebrate a diversity of viewpoints and freedom of speech.”

Later Tuesday, RGCC said it “chose not to host the CAE’s event because it generated controversy among Club members.” A source said the club’s board voted overwhelmingly to cancel the event.

“It was determined that it was not in the best interest of the Club membership to hold the event,” a club spokesperson said in a written statement. “RGCC does not endorse any political position.”

Bill Walsh, director of communications for CAE, said he believes the club was “bullied” into canceling the event last-minute.

“A real loss for free speech,” Walsh said via email. “We filed a lawsuit for breach of contract, but could not get the court to issue a temporary restraining order.”

Walsh said the group plans to reschedule the event at another venue in the near future, but did not offer specifics. A second event, scheduled for Tuesday night in nearby Owatonna, will go on as planned, he added.

According to CAE, each of the events included in the statewide “crime crisis” tour include presentations on “current crime trends, an overview of the criminal justice system, the role of key officials in fighting crime, and proven strategies to reduce crime.”

In a statement released to Med City Beat, Franklin said he was “disappointed” he was not given the “opportunity to provide local law enforcement perspective regarding public safety issues affecting our community and our response to those issues.”

“Organizations frequently invite me to participate in conversations about public safety,” said Franklin. “I see these conversations as valuable opportunities to engage with community members and showcase the work RPD is doing within the community.”

Prior to the event’s cancellation, Torgerson offered a similar take on why he agreed to participate on the panel. Speaking to KAAL-TV’s Betsy Singer, the sheriff said while he doesn’t believe there is a crime crisis in the area, he did welcome the opportunity to discuss the issues facing law enforcement.

The latest numbers from RPD show that some person crimes did rise from 2020 to 2021, including assaults (35 percent increase) and criminal sexual assaults (23 percent increase). Two homicide/non-negligent manslaughter crimes were recorded in 2021, down from five the year before.

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.