Silver State Times

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) did not respond when asked to comment on a recent memo from U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland citing an “increase in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in our nation’s public schools.” 

The memo was sent to the heads of the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country directing them to convene with federal, state, and local law enforcement to discuss how best to deter this “disturbing trend.”

“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values,” Garland wrote.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee countered Garland’s memo stating in a letter that it appears that the Department of Justice (DOJ) message may be trying to police 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.” the letter read. “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.”

The GOP opposition to Garland’s memo comes on the heels of Boulder County parents starting recall efforts for three school board members who advocated for children to wear masks in school.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said in a press release that he and his GOP cohorts are demanding “the DOJ not interfere with local school board meetings or threaten the use of federal law enforcement to deter parents’ free speech.”

During a recent Senate hearing, Sen, Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) asked Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights, about Garland’s memo to the FBI, according.

“I’m aware of the memorandum from the attorney general, which speaks to threats and intimidation that some school officials have experienced in our country," Clarke replied. "That’s not activity protected by the First Amendment ..."

Former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, commented in a Newsmax piece on the subject, "If I were a parent, I would object to propagandizing my students in school. And they have a perfect right to do that. What they don't have the right to do, is threaten to hurt, or do violence to teachers or to administrators, and that's a line that I would hope the Justice Department would keep clearly in mind — at the same time, always erring on the side of permitting freedom of expression, even if it's unruly."