The owner of a popular Twin Cities haunt is apologizing for sending an internal note targeting Somali customers at Scream Town.
According to screenshots of the original note, owner Matt Dunn wrote in a closed Facebook group for Screen Town actors: "Note that we are having a zero-tolerance policy with Somalis. (Other guests, you can make your best judgment call) But absolutely zero tolerance with Somalis."
Dunn wrote a public apology on Scream Town's Facebook page saying safety is a top priority, and the first post "seemed to generalize."
The full apology reads: "Scream Town welcomes ALL people to our event. We love our guests and we love our fans. Safety and security for our actors and guests is our top priority. We apologize for any posts that seemed to generalize. That was not our intent. All are welcome and we thank you for your business."
Scream Town, on about 30 acres near Chaska, has been considered one of the country's best haunted attractions. According to its website, it has "hayride like experiences, but with haunted walking trails."
Dunn said Tuesday evening that the post came after a group of eight to 10 teenagers had caused trouble at Scream Town. He said that the original post was poorly worded, but he wanted to make the attraction a safe place.
"It was a poorly written message that came off as being extraordinarily broad," Dunn said. "It wasn't a message to all Somali folks. This was a terrible misunderstanding."
Meanwhile, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has asked the state Department of Human Rights to investigate Dunn's comments, calling the incident a "discriminatory business policy targeting an ethnic and religious minority."
