controversy surrounding the National School Boards Association and its efforts to coordinate with the Department of Justice and the White House prior to sending a letter to President Joe Biden which compared concerned school parents to domestic terrorists.Asked by Fox News whether anyone at the White House requested DOJ to write the memo from Attorney General Merrick Garland or work with NSBA to craft a letter to the president, a White House official said the situation "has nothing to do with curriculum."
"It is standard practice across every administration for White House officials to meet with outside stakeholders for listening sessions on a range of issues," the spokesperson said, adding that it "makes sense to ask for examples of increasingly common threats of violence if an alarm is sounded about such a trend, regardless of circumstances."
The spokesperson also claimed that the White House had no involvement in the issuance of the DOJ memo, saying the "DOJ chose to take this approach on their own."
That memo instructed the FBI to take the lead on a task force to address threats against school officials and create a centralized way to report such threats.
"We contacted DOJ after we were notified about these threats of violence because we were concerned about the pattern, and we discussed policy – not enforcement," the White House official said.
Emails provided to Fox News show that NSBA had coordinated with the White House for weeks before it sent a letter to Biden.
| “Curses! Foiled again!” |
Five days later, on Oct. 4, the DOJ issued a memo directing law enforcement to investigate threats to school boards. On Oct. 22, the NSBA issued an apology for the letter.
DOJ officials tell Fox News they are standing by Garland's congressional testimony.
| Related: 26 state school board associations distance from national group that likened parents to terrorists |
Related:
National School Boards Association: 2021-10-26 Biden admin gives post to National School Boards Association chief who signed 'domestic terrorism' letter
National School Boards Association: 2021-10-26 School boards group that equated parental activism with 'domestic terrorism' owes IRS $20 million
National School Boards Association: 2021-10-18 School Boards and Idiots
National School Boards Association: 2021-10-26 Biden admin gives post to National School Boards Association chief who signed 'domestic terrorism' letter
National School Boards Association: 2021-10-26 School boards group that equated parental activism with 'domestic terrorism' owes IRS $20 million
National School Boards Association: 2021-10-18 School Boards and Idiots
Related:
Merrick Garland: 2021-10-28 Garland's feds go after parents: Mother protesting porn on curriculum shares photo of federal law enforcement cars outside school board meeting after AG told FBI to crack down on parents
Merrick Garland: 2021-10-27 WND Follow-up: FBI quietly drops Jan 6 suspect from Most Wanted List
Merrick Garland: 2021-10-26 Meet Ray Epps: The Fed-Protected Provocateur Who Appears To Have Led The Very First 1/6 Attack On The U.S. Capitol
Merrick Garland: 2021-10-28 Garland's feds go after parents: Mother protesting porn on curriculum shares photo of federal law enforcement cars outside school board meeting after AG told FBI to crack down on parents
Merrick Garland: 2021-10-27 WND Follow-up: FBI quietly drops Jan 6 suspect from Most Wanted List
Merrick Garland: 2021-10-26 Meet Ray Epps: The Fed-Protected Provocateur Who Appears To Have Led The Very First 1/6 Attack On The U.S. Capitol