December 2021 – In late September, as a result of pushback from parents on burdensome mask mandates and critical race theory in public schools, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) petitioned the Biden administration for help. The petition cited a “growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation [by concerned parents] occurring across the nation.”
In response, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo on October 4 directing the FBI to begin holding meetings with local authorities to “facilitate the discussion of strategies for addressing” the alleged threats. Subsequently, the Department of Justice released a notice regarding its compliance with Garland’s memo.
At press time, around 20 advocacy groups had come together to condemn the NSBA. Many parents perceive the association’s “thinly veiled threat” as an attempt to silence and intimidate parents and keep them away from school board meetings.
