ROCK SPRINGS — An unnamed Rock Springs resident was trespassed from the city’s facilities after a confrontation with Mayor Max Mickelson, leaving the mayor to call for such behavior to not be tolerated.

Mayor Max Mickelson issued a statement Tuesday afternoon regarding an incident at the Rock Springs Recreation Center Monday. Mickelson said a man approached him and claimed he had a list of “incompetent and corrupt city employees” and offered it to him. Mickelson said he told the man that any evidence-backed concerns should be presented to him and the Rock Springs City Council for review. 

“I will not provide a blow by blow, it is sufficient to say he began screaming profanities, making accusations, and threatened me with physical violence,” Mickelson said. “I asked him to stop given my young child being present to which he responded, ‘I don’t give a s***!’”

Mickelson said the situation continued to escalate until he called the Rock Springs Police Department to have him trespassed from city property. He said he later learned the person had a history of abusive and aggressive behavior against city employees and said he should have been held responsible for his behavior years ago. 

“Clearly, he has mental health issues and I hope he has the capacity to access support services. Regardless, one’s mental condition, age, sex, or whatever demographic category one falls under does not excuse treating other human beings as one’s vitriol spittoon,” Mickelson said.

Mickelson said bad behavior within the community, state, and nation, has been tolerated for too long and people have forgotten to live under a contract. 

“Participation trophies, California psychology, fear of bad press, or some cause I’m not sophisticated enough to pin down has brought us to a place where ‘Karens’ are a meme and many feel their freedom to act means a freedom from consequences. Enough is enough,” Mickelson said.

Mickelson said no one is more special than anyone else, with everyone in the community deserving a place that upholds the principles of mutual respect, civility and basic manners. He said he welcomes feedback regardless of if it’s from someone who thinks the city is being managed well or not, saying he had worked to grow civic engagement to ensure all residents know their voice matters.He said the city is committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for everyone in the community. Respectful disagreement is welcomed, but accosting staff or other residents won’t be.

“If someone decides they have extra special rights to be abusive, to threaten violence, to behave in a way that is outside of the social contract, they will be excluded,” Mickelson said.