DOJ Emails Show 2021 Garland Memo Sparked Internal Revolt Over School Board Threats
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 12
DOJ Emails Show 2021 Garland Memo Sparked Internal Revolt Over School Board Threats
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 12
Summary
Internal DOJ emails obtained by Fox News show senior officials fiercely objected to Merrick Garland’s October 2021 memo on threats tied to school board meetings, with one warning it would “look political.”
Officials said the directive could damage election-threat work, lacked a clear federal interest and risked turning the DOJ and FBI into “threat police,” while one employee mocked it as an “Anti-MAGA Task Force.”
The memo followed a National School Boards Association letter urging federal help over parent confrontations during fights over COVID-19 rules and classroom teaching on race and gender.
That backlash later forced the NSBA to apologize for language suggesting some parent actions could be treated as “domestic terrorism,” while Garland publicly defended the memo as necessary to address violence and threats against public officials.