FBI Will Investigate Threats Against, Harassment of School Board Members

In a press release Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed "a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in our nation’s public schools." The release said Garland directed the FBI and U.S. attorneys to work with state and local leaders to "open dedicated lines of communication for threat reporting, assessment and response by law enforcement." The Justice Department (DOJ) is also expected to create a task force "to determine how federal enforcement tools can be used to prosecute these crimes." The National School Boards Association (NSBA) wrote a letter to President Joe Biden last month calling on the federal government to address "the growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation occurring across the nation" against school faculty over mask mandates and critical race theory (CRT) in schools. 

The DOJ's announcement was covered across the spectrum, especially by right-rated outlets, many of which featured the story prominently in their coverage Tuesday. Many right-rated voices criticized the announcement and accused the Biden administration of trying to suppress debate about mask mandates and CRT in schools; some reports from the right highlighted pushback on the press release from Republican lawmakers. Some coverage from left-rated sources highlighted how the NSBA's CEO said Garland's announcement sent "a strong message to individuals with violent intent."