DOJ to “Protect” Local School Boards from Parents

National School Board Association’s (NSBA) letter to President Biden September 29, 2021, asked that the federal Department of Justice repel extremist hate organizations showing up at school board meetings, with “the growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation occurring across the nation.” NSBA complained of parental opposition to curricula in certain states, such as Georgia and highly publicized local board hearings in Loudon County, Virginia.

In response, President Biden prompted Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s October 4th press release, of the Department of Justice plan for a series of efforts to quell behavior NSBA identifies as “domestic terrorism.” DOJ will create (a) a task force from seven DOJ offices and give (b) specialized training for local school boards and school administrators to identify/report threats, while collecting and preserving evidence of “crimes” to be investigated and prosecuted.

Response to AG Garland’s Memo
The U.S. Senate responded to the DOJ plan on October 27, 2021 by requiring AG Garland to give sworn testimony before a Capitol Hill Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, “Oversight of the United States Department of Justice.”

Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin responded to parents’ complaints in Loudon County by promising to increase the number of charter schools in the state. However, charter schools aren’t the answer. In Georgia, parents deal with elected boards of education for traditional schools, charter schools are controlled by contract with the SBOE and an appointed committee.

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