October 13, 2021
Washington, DC
Conservatives are deeply disturbed by the efforts of the Department of Justice to criminalize parental dissent at school board meetings. This is a dangerous and anti-democratic attempt at intimidation that should be vigorously opposed.
The DOJ has recently announced it will direct the FBI to investigate “threats of violence” at school board meetings. The announcement came just days after the National School Boards Association urged the Biden administration to invoke the Patriot Act against concerned parents, as they might be engaged in “domestic terrorism.”
This level of outright authoritarianism must be opposed. Parents not only pay for the instruction taking place in public schools, but as parents, have the right to know how and in what manner their children are being instructed. Those expressions of disagreement and demands for accountability are not only appropriate in a democratic society, but protected under the Constitution.
If Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Biden administration are going to make it their business to ban, demean, and belittle parents and citizens for engaging in protected speech in the institutions funded by their tax dollars, the response from concerned parents must be more speech, not less.
We urge all parents to attend their school board meetings, to use their rights to speak, to request documents under the Freedom of Information Laws, to engage in dialogue with the elected school boards who are there to serve their interests, or merely to be present.
American citizens will not be intimidated in the face of such wildly inappropriate and despotic tactics from the Department of Justice – and in fact, we are now further motivated to peaceably assemble and speak out on behalf of the way our children are being instructed and formed.
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Distinguished Fellow Emeritus The Heritage Foundation |
Alfred S. Regnery Chairman, Conservative Action Project President, Republic Book Publishers |
| Kevin Roberts, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer Texas Public Policy Foundation |
The Honorable Matt Schlapp Chairman American Conservative Union (ACU) |
| Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq. President and CEO First Liberty Institute |
Cleta Mitchell, Esq. |
| The Honorable David McIntosh President Club for Growth |
Scott T. Parkinson VP for Government Affairs Club for Growth |
| The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Former Counselor to the U.S. Attorney General |
Myron Ebell Director, Center for Energy and Environment Competitive Enterprise Institute |
| The Honorable Paul S. Teller, Ph.D. Executive Director Advancing American Freedom |
L. Brent Bozell III Founder and President Media Research Center |
| Wesley Denton Chief Operating Officer Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) |
Tom McClusky Greenlight Strategies, LLC |
| Mary Vought Executive Director Senate Conservatives Fund |
The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop White House Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985) |
| The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman, Constitutional Congress, Inc. Chairman, CNP Action, Inc. |
Lori Roman President American Constitutional Rights Union (ACRU) |
| Penny Y. Nance President & CEO Concerned Women for America |
Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
| The Honorable Jim DeMint Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute Member, US Senate (SC 2005-2013) |
Ed Corrigan Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project President & CEO, Conservative Partnership Institute |
| The Honorable Bob McEwen U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Ohio |
Thomas Fitton President, Judicial Watch, Inc. President, Council for National Policy |
| Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
The Honorable Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II Chairman Election Transparency Initiative |
| The Honorable Tony Perkins President Family Research Council |
Terry Schilling Executive Director American Principles Project |
| The Honorable Brooke Rollins President and CEO America First Policy Institute (AFPI) |
Noah Wall Executive Vice President FreedomWorks |
| Rachel A. Bovard Senior Director of Policy Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) |
William L. Walton Managing Editor and Host The Bill Walton Show |
| Virginia Thomas President Liberty Consulting |
The Honorable Morton C. Blackwell President The Leadership Institute |
| Lisa B. Nelson Chief Executive Officer American Legislative Exchange Council |
The Honorable Russ Vought Director Office of Management and Budget (2020-2021) |
| Carrie Lukas President Independent Women’s Forum |
Heather R. Higgins CEO Independent Women’s Voice |
| Julie Gunlock Content Director Independent Women’s Network |
Rod D. Martin Founder & CEO The Martin Organization, Inc. |
| Sherri R. Martin Trustee Florida Baptist Children’s Homes |
Haley E. Martin Past President The Martin Foundation |
| Guillermo J. Aragon Senior Partner Corbere Partners |
Christina Murphy Lusk President The Martin Foundation |
| Lourdes Cosio Campaign for the American Future |
Shawn A. Mitchell Former National Chaplain National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
| Bishop E.W. Jackson President STAND Foundation, Inc. |
Craig Shirley Reagan Biographer Presidential Historian |
| Judson Phillips Founder Tea Party Nation |
Seton Motley President Less Government |
| Karen England Executive Director Capitol Resource Institute & Nevada Family Alliance |
The Honorable James C. Miller III Budget Director for President Reagan, 1985-1988 |
| Kevin Freeman Founder NSIC Institute |
Rob Chambers Vice President AFA Action |
| Trent England Executive Director Save Our States |
Sean Noble President American Encore |
| Reverend Gregory Quinlan Founder Center for Garden State Families |
Saulius “Saul” Anuzis President 60 Plus Association |
| Ron Pearson Executive Director Conservative Victory Fund |
James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
| Richard Norman Founder and President The Richard Norman Company |
Don Woodsmall Managing Member Arromid, LLC |
| Brian Rogers President The Jesse Helms Center |
Garland S. Tucker III Retired Founder CEO Triangle Capital Corp |
| Martha Boneta President Vote America First |
Kay R. Daly President Coalition for a Fair Judiciary |
| Kielle C. Horton President The Lindsey Foundation |
Willes K. Lee Immediate Past President NFRA |
| William Shaker CEO Washington Marketing Group |
Allen Hebert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston |
| Richard Wright Owner R & S LLC |
Marc Little Executive Director CURE America Action |
| The Honorable George K. Rasley Jr. Managing Editor ConservativeHQ.com |
Floyd Brown Founder The Western Journal |
| Paavo Ensio Chairman Universal Minerals Group |
Robert Keith Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith |
| Jack Park Conservative Activist and Donor Law Offices of Jack Park |
James Taylor President The Heartland Institute |
| The Honorable Tim Huelskamp, Ph.D. Former Congressman 1st Congressional District of Kansas |
Dr. Jerry A. Johnson President (2013-2019) National Religious Broadcasters |
| Mario Navarro da Costa Director, Washington Bureau Tradition, Family, Property |
Elaine Donnelly President Center for Military Readiness |
| Donna Rice Hughes CEO & President Enough Is Enough |
William W. Pascoe, III Our Man in Washington Tea Party Patriots Action |
| Lee Beaman CEO Beaman Ventures |
Mark Fitzgibbons President of Corporate Affairs American Target Advertising |
| The Honorable Gary L. Bauer President American Values |
C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
| Dr. E. Calvin Beisner President Cornwall Alliance |
The Honorable Peter J. Thomas Chairman The Conservative Caucus |
| Chad Connelly President Faith Wins |
Richard G. Scurry VP Product Development 14all.us |
| Tom DeWeese President American Policy Center |
Tim LeFever Chairman Capitol Resource Institute |
| The Honorable Mike Hill Former Member Florida State Representative |
Richard D. Hayes Partner Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant, LLP |
| Dr. Richard Rounsavelle Trustee MRC |
Kathleen Patten President & CEO American Target Advertising |
| Jeremy Cerone Chairman, William F. Buckley Jr. Council Council for National Policy |
E.C. Sykes General Partner Aslan Ventures |
| Joan Holt Lindsey President Lindsey Communications |
Melvin Adams President Noah Webster Educational Foundation |
| Ambassador Henry F. Cooper President Reagan’s Chief Defense and Space Negotiator Former SDI Director |
Tim Throckmorton President Lifepointe Ministries |
| Dr. Allen Unruh Founder National Abstinence Clearinghouse |
Penna Dexter Co-host Point of View Radio |
| Lew Uhler Founder and President National Tax Limitation Committee |
All organizations listed for IDENTIFICATION purposes only.
