A 17-state coalition has formed against the Biden administration’s move to target and intimidate parents.
This effort is being led by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita.
Parents have been speaking up at school board meetings across the country about concerns related to their children’s education.
Many public school systems have adopted overly restrictive coronavirus-related policies as well as endorsing controversial ideologies such as “Critical Race Theory.”
The 17 state attorneys general who have signed are from Indiana, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.
States forming a coalition against the federal government.
Get used to this. There’s gonna be a lot more of it. And if you can, get to one of those states. They’re gonna be the only protection you have. https://t.co/jwYTI98N2M
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) October 19, 2021
“States forming a coalition against the federal government,” Jesse Kelly wrote to Twitter.
“Get used to this,” he continued. “There’s gonna be a lot more of it.”
“And if you can, get to one of those states. They’re gonna be the only protection you have,” Kelly added.
Rokita explained why the coalition was forming: “Hoosier parents have a First Amendment right to speak their minds to teachers, administrators, and school board members.”
“That’s why I’m demanding that the Biden administration immediately stop attempting to shut down parental participation through scare tactics and intimidation,” he continued.
Rokita sent a letter on Oct. 18 to President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Rokita specifically refers to a memo issued by Garland on Oct. 4 that addresses a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.”
“Concerned parents passionate about their kids’ education are not terrorists,” Rokita said.
“The Biden administration and its special-interest allies need to dial down the rhetoric and respect the rights of parents to be heard.”
The 17-state coalition is receiving significant praise across social media. Here’s a look:
That's my AG – he's one of 2 in office we Hoosiers can count on
— turnin2 (Toni) (@TLEvans54) October 19, 2021
Great work @ToddRokitaIN
Next up, protection against vax mandates
— BowTiedLemur (@BowTiedLemur) October 19, 2021
Finally. Power to the people!!
— Poppy1313 (@Kelley13132) October 19, 2021
Awesome News Thank you Todd Rokita!!
— C LazoMiller (@medlegalrn) October 19, 2021
How can we help? Every parent is sick of this communist government! !
— Jackie Xu (@thejackiefamily) October 19, 2021
17 States w intestinal fortitude to speak on behalf of the majority.
— Chris Evans🇺🇸 (@10fourDriva) October 19, 2021
Should be all 50.
— ChangeBank (@ChangeBank) October 19, 2021
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The letter also questioned why the administration and NSBA are focusing more attention on “parents who have concerns about their children’s education” than on the “outright and documented criminal behavior” that occurred during the Black Lives Matter protests.
“In no known instance, has there been anything like the burning, looting, police assaults, vandalism, and other criminal activity that occurred in the summer of 2020,” the letter states. “We note that to date your administration has done nothing to bring those thousands of perpetrators to justice.”
Rokita has released a “Parents Bill of Rights” that encourages parent participation. It is a resource for civic dialogue and outlines how parents and caregivers can “exercise their legal right to have a voice in their children’s education.”