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Did federal authorities under Joe Biden investigate parents for speaking out at school board meetings?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland directed the FBI in an October 2021 memo to meet with federal, state and local leaders to “facilitate the discussion of strategies" to respond to “a disturbing spike" in threats against school board members and other educators.

He noted that “spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution.”

The National School Boards Association had asked President Joe Biden for a law enforcement response to threats made over COVID-19 masking policies and other issues.

Garland later said he received 22 reports of threats and referred six to local authorities.

The parents claim was made by Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to former President Donald Trump. Navarro spoke July 17, 2024, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

An RNC spokesperson cited pushback from GOP lawmakers who said the FBI interviewed a parent for allegedly telling a school board member "we are coming for you."

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Department of Justice Merrick Garland memo
National Association of School Boards Letter to President Biden
USA Today Garland: school board memo aimed at violence, not parent protests; 6 cases referred to local authorities
NBC News Peter Navarro: ‘This morning I did walk out of a federal prison’
Fox News Whistleblowers: FBI targeted parents via terrorism tools despite Garland's testimony that it didn't happen
Wisconsin Watch Did the FBI under President Joe Biden label concerned parents who spoke at school board meetings ‘domestic terrorists,’ as a Wisconsin congressman claims?
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.