(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06) joined his House Education and Labor Committee Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona requesting a briefing on the Attorney General’s October 4 memorandum to the FBI regarding more federal involvement to prevent threats to school personnel and board members. The memo made no distinction between how the FBI should treat law-abiding parents expressing concern over their child’s education and people involved in criminal conduct, or even define what criminal conduct has occurred.

 

“Even when the subjects may be tough, it is important for school officials, elected officials, and teachers to understand and address parents’ concerns. Violence and threats of violence are never acceptable. Neither are school boards hiding behind law enforcement rather than dealing with parents’ sincere concerns… Mr. Attorney General, your October 4, 2021, memorandum announcing your intention to promulgate ‘a series of measures designed to address the rise in criminal conduct directed toward school personnel’ is alarming.” Said the Members in their letter.

 

“Parents should not harass or threaten violence to school officials, nor should parents be intimidated, threatened, or coerced from speaking out about concerns in their schools. Sunshine on these policies is key to ensuring children receive the best education possible; your actions to dismiss or threaten the lawful expression of parents’ legitimate concerns is harmful to our nation.” The Members continued in their letter.

 

“We recently exceeded 90,000 deaths from illegal drug use in this country in one year, largely driven by the use of fentanyl, which is an issue that undoubtedly needs more FBI involvement. I would like to know which examples of violent threats against public school officials the Attorney General feels require federal action instead of being handled at the state and local level,” said Grothman.

 

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