The Justice Department has released a report from its Weaponization Working Group detailing how elements of the Biden administration allegedly conspired during the pandemic to characterize concerned parents as domestic terrorists.
Parents across the country raised concerns during the pandemic about issues impacting their children, including COVID-19 restrictions, mask mandates, anti-white propaganda in classrooms, and the abuse that followed school districts’ adoption of gender ideology-based policies.
The report states: “Find a reason to suggest that such protests could be federal crimes regardless of the initial skepticism.”
On September 29, 2021, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent a letter to then-President Joe Biden warning of an immediate threat to public schools and education leaders. The NSBA claimed there was a growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation nationwide. The letter also alleged school officials were “susceptible to acts of violence” and faced threats for their role in implementing COVID-19 measures and leftist policies.
The DOJ report notes the NSBA identified “numerous instances of constitutionally protected speech and protest as ‘threats’”; urged the Biden administration to treat such speech as criminal; and falsely claimed school boards were subject to “angry mobs” and disruptions.
By October 22, 2021, the NSBA board walked back some claims, admitting that “there was no justification for some of the language included in the letter.”
The report further states Attorney General Merrick Garland’s October 4, 2021 memo—which treated the NSBA’s concerns as factual and warranted federal action—was the product of pressure from the White House and high-ranking DOJ officials to find a reason to label parent protests as potential federal crimes.
Internal Justice Department documents indicate significant skepticism within the FBI and DOJ about whether parental criticism qualified as criminal activity. A Civil Rights Division attorney noted that “the vast, vast majority of the behavior cited cannot be reached by federal law.” A Criminal Division attorney reportedly observed an early version of the memo linked school board threats to election-related concerns, making it a “partisan exercise aimed at those who do not support the Administration.”
The Weaponization Working Group concluded Garland’s memo was driven by pressure from senior leadership to support the NSBA and apply federal scrutiny to parents protesting school policies. The report emphasizes that labeling concerned parents as breaking federal law or on the verge of doing so had a chilling effect on First Amendment rights.
While the Trump DOJ cannot turn back the clock and undo the damage generated by the previous administration, it is offering several remedies: allowing individuals targeted under the Biden administration’s policies to access FBI Guardian assessments, adding disclaimers to these assessments noting “the Garland Memorandum raised serious constitutional concerns,” and reviewing files to ensure constitutional rights were not violated.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated: “Parents are children’s natural providers and protectors. The Biden-Harris DOJ labeled concerned parents as threats for exercising their right to know what was happening at their kids’ schools. This Civil Rights Division stands with parents, and we will continue to partner with the Department of Education to enforce parents’ rights under federal law.”
