Cold Spring woman runs for council four months after racist attack

Workers have mended the gaping hole on the side of Andrea Robinson's Cold Spring home after a man in July drove his SUV into the house in an attack authorities say had a racist motive.

Just four months after Robinson told Cold Spring City Council about the harassment her multiracial family had endured leading up to the incident, she is now running for a seat at the table.

"Our journey is so much more than a tragedy. It's an opportunity for growth and change," said Robinson, 41. "Right now, citizens continue to engage with the council and school board on matters [in] which they are passionate about. And this is something that I am very passionate about."

The five-member council has an opening following the resignation of a member in mid-October. Four residents applied to fill the vacant seat; the council plans to interview applicants and announce its pick on Tuesday.

In July, Robinson, who is white, spoke to the council about the racism her family has experienced because her husband and some of her children are Black.

Robinson's high school-age daughter was the subject of bullying on social media last year when a Snapchat group created about her referenced ropes and hanging Black men from trees. The girl has since moved from the ROCORI (Rockville, Cold Spring, Richmond) school district to the St. Cloud district.

Around the same time, a Richmond man started harassing the family and, at one point, called the police on Robinson's husband, Phil, when Phil was outside the Robinson home.

The breaking point came when an unoccupied stolen car with a piece of granite on the accelerator hit Robinson's home. No one was hurt, but one child was sleeping on the couch in the living room nearby.

The Richmond man, Benton L. Beyer, was arrested and charged with violation of a restraining order, property damage, stalking and theft in connection to the crash. In August, charges alleging racism as a motive were added; he remains in custody.

"At the time of the assault, the defendant wrongfully believed that [his girlfriend] had cheated on him with a Black or biracial male associated with the victim's household," read the complaint, which made clear that the Robinson family had no connection to the woman. "Investigation revealed that the defendant targeted this household for the assault because the home contained individuals who were Black or biracial."

The investigation revealed 18 calls to authorities regarding Beyer stalking and harassing the family, court documents state. He was also arrested in July for violating a May restraining order, but was released four days later.

Since July, Cold Spring has organized an ad hoc committee, which plans to recommend to the council a consulting service to work with the city on diversity and equity issues. The council will likely select a consultant in December, according to Cold Spring Mayor Dave Heinen, who said he hopes the work helps all residents feel accepted in the city.

"That's the biggest part of it. Apparently there's a lot of people that don't feel the city of Cold Spring is very welcoming," he said. "I never thought of it that way but I've always lived here."

Heinen, who is in his third term as mayor, is hopeful a consultant can facilitate tough conversations on race and other equity issues.

"I feel OK with how things are going right now, progressing. I don't know if it's fast enough for some people but I don't want to go too fast with it. I want to take our time and make sure we do everything," Heinen said, pausing before adding, "I don't want to say right because we don't know if we'll do everything right."

Finding mutual respect

Robinson works as a small-business contracting supervisor in the office of civil rights for Minnesota Department of Transportation. She first started speaking out in May after the Snapchat incident and chronicled the harassment and the ROCORI school district's response on her Facebook page.

"I thought I was sharing it on my personal page just to my friends — like finally coming out to my friends that this is this experience we're having," she said. "To wake up the next morning and see 1,200 views — I was shocked. I was scared. Because it was never meant to be public."

For Robinson, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. She said she hopes to continue to engage the community if she's selected to fill the council seat by creating a citizen advisory panel.

"I want to participate in the community in which we intend to stay," she said. "I recognize my privilege is very different than the experience of my family, and I see it as an opportunity to ensure marginalized members of the community are represented in the decisionmaking process of local government."

Since Robinson spoke out, the ROCORI school district has ordered an independent investigation addressing allegations of racism and discrimination, and started working with an equity consultant. The investigation's findings have yet to be released but ROCORI Superintendent Brad Kelvington said the investigation is "in the process of winding down."

In July, Kelvington issued a statement saying the district is "outraged by the act of hate that took place" and is committed to providing a safe environment free from bullying and harassment for all students, staff and the community.

Robinson said she wants to emphasize in her role that people don't need to share the same beliefs to have mutual respect for one another.

"I still see people very passionate on both sides — and that creates such a divide," she said. "If we all love this place as our town, we need to find ways to live together."