Parents who stood up at school board meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic may have expected heated debate, but a new Justice Department report says some instead became subjects of federal investigations. The report details how officials explored ways to investigate and potentially prosecute parents who protested school policies or confronted school officials.

The 2026 report, released Monday by the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, examines the events surrounding then-Attorney General Merrick Garland’s October 2021 memorandum directing federal law enforcement to address alleged threats against school officials. DOJ says internal records show significant concerns within the department about whether the effort was constitutional, political, and even appropriate for federal law enforcement.

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From the Daily Caller:

The Biden administration weaponized the DOJ against parents who tried to blow the whistle that leadership actions within school systems could be unconstitutional, Blanche said in his post, citing the department’s report.

“Along with the report, we’ve released hundreds of exhibits and emails that make official and verify what many Americans had guessed: the Garland DOJ worked hand in hand with WH officials and the National School Boards Association to chill free speech and parental rights while they threatened to prosecute parents and label them domestic terrorists,” Blanche said in X post.

After Garland sent out his memorandum, the FBI opened a number of investigations into so-called “school board threats,” the report states.

The DOJ report says the FBI opened 25 “Guardian assessments” involving parents as a result of the Garland memorandum. One FBI whistleblower identified an investigation involving a mother because she was a gun owner and belonged to what investigators described as a “right-wing mom’s group.” Another parent was investigated after opposing mask mandates and being described internally as fitting a particular political profile.

The report also reveals that federal officials themselves raised serious objections. More than a dozen DOJ and FBI personnel expressed concerns about the memorandum, with internal communications questioning its constitutionality, political appearance, and connection to federal law. Some officials warned that the effort could damage the Justice Department’s reputation as an apolitical law-enforcement agency.

The controversy began after the National School Boards Association sent a September 2021 letter to President Joe Biden. The organization urged federal officials to consider whether certain confrontations involving school boards could constitute domestic terrorism or hate crimes. Garland issued his memorandum days later, directing federal law enforcement to address threats against school officials.

The new report says the evidence reviewed by the department did not support the broad suggestion that there had been a widespread spike in violence or threats at school board meetings. Instead, the Working Group found that White House officials and Garland’s advisers had pushed for federal involvement despite concerns raised by attorneys and agents.

The Justice Department is now taking steps to review the cases. Parents and others who became subjects of FBI Guardian assessments because of the Garland memorandum will have an opportunity to review their files. DOJ also says it will examine whether anyone’s constitutional rights were violated and issue formal apologies when violations are found.

The department’s findings come as the federal government continues to debate the proper role of parents in their children’s education. DOJ and the Department of Education separately reaffirmed Monday that parents have rights concerning their children’s education and said federal officials will review school policies that improperly keep parents in the dark.

Parents have a God-given responsibility to care for and guide their children. Scripture also calls Christians to pursue truth, justice, and righteousness when those in authority exercise power. This report should remind believers to pray for government officials, school leaders, and parents—and to pray that constitutional freedoms will be protected regardless of a person’s political beliefs.

Will you pray for parents across America to have wisdom, courage, and a strong voice in their children’s education?

(Excerpt from the Daily Caller. Photo Credit: ajay_suresh – U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150221888).