The national school board group that sparked a nationwide backlash with a letter comparing parents to domestic terrorists was in contact with Biden administration officials …
The national school board group that sparked a nationwide backlash with a letter comparing parents to domestic terrorists was in contact with Biden administration officials before releasing the letter late last month, newly released emails show. The National School Boards Association (NSBA) on Sept.29 urged President Joe Biden to take action to stop what it described as “threats and acts of violence” against school boards, teachers, and others involved in the public education sphere. Five days later, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced federal officials would crack down on parents accused of threatening violence or trying to intimidate educators. The newly disclosed emails ( pdf), obtained by Parents Defending Education, show the NSBA was in touch with the White House and others in the administration before the release of the letter. “In talks over the last several weeks with White House staff, they requested additional information on some of the specific threats,” Chip Slaven, the NSBA’s interim executive director and CEO, wrote in an email to NSBA board members just hours after the letter was released to the public. “So the letter also details many of the incidents that have been occurring,” he said.
