The National School Boards Association is apologizing for a September letter it sent to President Biden labeling threats against public school officials as “domestic terrorism.”
The much-debated letter was sent to Biden on Sept. 29 and requested federal protection to maintain safety from “threats of violence and acts of intimidation occurring across the nation” against school board members. The letter referenced more than 20 examples, including a Beaver Dam, Ky., board member who resigned and said his family “no longer feels safe” after critics parked in front of his house and threatened to protest.
“As these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes,” the Sept. 29 letter said.
Debates over masks and Critical Race Theory, the letter said, were driving the discussion at school board meetings.
The Sept. 29 letter never used the word “parents,” but that was the implication.
The NSBA, in an Oct. 22 memorandum to members, said the language in the letter to Biden went too far. The Oct. 22 letter was sent from the NSBA board of directors.
“As you all know, there has been extensive media and other attention recently around our letter to President Biden regarding threats and acts of violence against school board members,” the Oct. 22 memo says. “… On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for the letter.
“To be clear, the safety of school board members, other public school officials and educators, and students is our top priority, and there remains important work to be done on this issue. However, there was no justification for some of the language used in the letter.”
The Oct. 22 memo says the NSBA values the work of board members and the “voices of parents, who should and must continue to be heard when it comes to decisions about their children’s education, health, and safety.”
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
