The Department of Justice launched an effort to discourage threats against school administrators in early October, citing a “disturbing spike” in harassment and intimidation. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the move in a memo as parents nationwide push back against school districts over mask policies, vaccine requirements and lessons on what they call “critical race theory.”
According to Garland, the FBI and US Attorney’s offices will meet with local, state and federal law enforcement to devise strategies for managing the threats.
Critics of the effort say federal involvement in public school board meetings is a violation of the First Amendment.
