Peach Tree Times

On Oct. 4, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo to the heads of the FBI and Federal Attorney’s Offices directing them to convene with federal, state and local law enforcement to discuss how best to deter a "disturbing trend" of harassment against public school board members, teachers and workers, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. 

In his letter, Merrick cited an increase in "harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in our nation’s public schools," according to New York Post.

"While spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution, that protection does not extend to threats of violence or efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views," Garland wrote in a memo. "Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values."

Washington Examiner reports that Republicans sitting on the Senate Judiciary Committee responded to Garland’s memo, expressing concerns that the Department of Justice message may appear to signal the policing the speech of parents and concerned citizens. 

"We urge you to make very clear to the American public that the Department of Justice will not interfere with the rights of parents to come before school boards and speak with educators about their concerns, whether regarding coronavirus-related measures, the teaching of critical race theory in schools, sexually explicit books in schools or any other topic," Senate Republicans wrote in their letter. "Furthermore, we urge you to instruct the FBI and the various United States Attorneys to make clear in the meetings discussed above that speech and democratic processes, like those that occur at a local school board meeting, must be respected."

According to a press release published on U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) web site, Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee are demanding "the Department of Justice not interfere with local school board meetings or threaten the use of federal law enforcement to deter parents’ free speech."

Georgia’s Democrat senator on the Judiciary Committee, Jon Ossoff, did not sign the Republican-issued letter.

The National School Boards Association recently wrote to President Joe Biden regarding "threats, harassment, disruption and acts of intimidation," including "school board meetings [being] disrupted in California, Florida, Georgia and other states because of local directives for mask coverings to protect students and educators from COVID-19."

Parent protests at school board meetings have occurred in Georgia. Fulton County parents held a protest against mask mandates for their children at an August school board meeting, according to FOX 5 News. They argued that whether a child wears a mask to school or not should be a decision left up to parents, with signs reading "my child, my choice."