Getting criticized is hard, but reasonable criticism – even heated criticism – is not a threat. And it’s what representative democracy is all about, especially when dealing with a controversial decision being made by a group hosting a very public event. At the same time, real threats are obviously very wrong, and people should be held accountable for them. But the two things are also very different, and it’s wrong to conflate them.
So, we asked the Oconomowoc Rotary Club for specifics on—and to see—the “threats” they supposedly received after making a controversial decision (now reversed) that initially prohibited some local politicians from participating in the Fourth of July parade as politicians. We wanted to hold the people accountable who made threats, if they did.
However, the Rotary Club is refusing to document the “threats,” won’t detail them, won’t show them, and won’t even explain what the “threats” exactly said. Furthermore, Oconomowoc’s police chief told WRN that his department has no police reports on the matter.
“I believe my message was clear: we will not be releasing this information,” Rotary President Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen told WRN in an email.
Why does this matter? People were falsely blamed for making “threats” after a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel news headline alleged that “Rotary members faced threats.” Some community members responded to that headline by going on news media social media threads and falsely and angrily accusing Republican legislators of making threats, with no evidence, for example. So it seems fair to ask people to document them.
“Rotary leader says Oconomowoc members faced safety threats after July 4 parade decision,” a headline blared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“We have taken no reports on the threats and 2 officers were present for the meeting that were already on duty and subject to other calls so no costs,” James Pfister, the Oconomowoc police chief, wrote WRN.
We asked, “What did the threats say and what was the nature of them?”
“I have no idea what the threat stated as they did not forward anything to us. Sorry I really have no information on this,” Pfister responded.
So we thought it was reasonable to ask the Rotary to name names and provide the receipts.
“Thank you for your concern regarding the threats. The City of Oconomowoc Police were made aware of the situation; however, no formal report was filed. As President, I’m focused on helping the Club move forward — we have a parade to put on and important work to continue in our community,” Lewis-Tschanen further wrote WRN.
“Releasing specific information or naming individuals doesn’t benefit anyone. We understand that emotions were high and that people are passionate about their views, but now it’s time to refocus on our mission and the positive impact we can make together,” she added.
It turns out that Lewis-Tschannen admitted that she didn’t receive any direct threats, but rather believed she was “harassed,” in an interview with the Oconomowoc Enterprise. Yet the Journal Sentinel has not corrected its story reporting that the Club received “threats.” Words matter.
“I can’t say I was directly threatened, but I also didn’t read all the social media posts, but I did feel harassed — and things were beginning to escalate,” she said to the Oconomowoc Enterprise. “Unfortunately, the harassment extended to other members of the Board as well. I chose not to read most of the social media posts, but the emails I received were largely harassing, vulgar, and hate-filled.” Again, though, she won’t say what they said.
Pete Bosch, governor of Rotary District 6270, told the Enterprise that some Club members received “threats to their safety” and vulgar emails.
The Rotary is also claiming that it told politicians they could still walk in the parade, just with other groups. However, we asked one legislator, Republican state Rep. Barb Dittrich, whether they conveyed that to her at the time, and she said no. Dittrich, we would note, lives in Oconomowoc and has deep historical ties to the community.
Instead, she received this abrupt email from the Rotary telling her that they were not hosting “political acts” and refunding her parade participation fee. “We hope to see you again next year!” the email said. There was no mention of an alternative way for Dittrich to walk in the parade.
In contrast, the Journal Sentinel reported that the Rotary Club “clarified that elected officials were still encouraged to participate within the original plan, such as by walking with the city’s official float.” That was news to Dittrich, who represents Oconomowoc.
The Oconomowoc Rotary Club previously apologized for the mess surrounding its July 4 parade and will now allow political parties and elected representatives to participate, however.
The reversal came after the club announced on June 10 that it was going to focus on a non-political event. Instead, politicians of all parties were invited to appear at a “unity” event at the Village Green after the parade.
The mayor and aldermen were being allowed to walk, but not Republican state representatives like Dittrich and Chris Kapenga or Congressman Scott Fitzgerald.
The initial board’s decision was met by swift community backlash; the Rotary Club initially responded by limiting comments on its Facebook posts.
“We want to clearly state that all political parties and representatives are welcome and encouraged to participate fully in the parade, as has been our longstanding tradition,” the board of directors wrote in its reversal statement, which was emailed to WRN.
“We’re reaching out today to offer a sincere apology and clarification regarding recent communications about political participation in our upcoming 4th of July parade, as we celebrate Oconomowoc’s momentous 150th Anniversary. As the Rotary Club of Oconomowoc, we are fundamentally a non-political organization, dedicated to ‘Service Above Self’ and to fostering unity in our community,” the statement reads.
