Last week, both CBS Evening News and NBC’s Today show peddled a smear against concerned parents protesting and rallying against their local school boards, parroting comments from the National School Boards Association attacking them as taking part in “domestic terrorism.” Now with the Biden Justice Department sicking the FBI’s anti-terrorism assets on American parents, those networks didn’t want to share how the parents they besmirched were fighting back.
“Well tonight, the National School Board[s] Association is taking extraordinary action, sending an SOS to the White House and law enforcement. Members have been berated at meetings and threatened online over COVID safety protocols,” announced anchor Norah O’Donnell on CBS Evening News on September 30, ignoring their outrage at the poison of critical race theory being utilized in schools.
CBS Homeland Security correspondent Jeff Pegues tried to get viewers to buy into the false notion that angry parents were somehow plotting terrorist attacks. “School board officials calling for help tonight,” he declared.
Adding: “Writing to President Biden, the National School Boards Association asked for help investigating the violent incidents and suggested the FBI monitor threats to board members likening these ‘heinous actions’ to ‘domestic terrorism.’”
Pegues also spoke to one board member who claimed he thought of committing suicide because of the outrage he received from parents and suggested, without evidence, they were spurred on the January 6 riot at the Capitol. This was music to CBS’s ears.
And on October 1, NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez reported: “This morning the National School Boards Association is calling for federal action describing the attacks against staff and students as a new form of ‘domestic terrorism.’”
But with the federal government this week showing they’re determined to fight against parental rights using lies and smears, the parents weren’t going to put up with it.
“Breaking tonight, the increasing pushback against the Biden administration over its efforts to stifle dissent on the part of parents against school boards disregarding their wishes over the children's education,” announced Fox News fill-in anchor Mike Emanuel on Wednesday’s Special Report.
Fox News correspondent Mark Meredith reported that Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke “says the Justice Department stands by its recent memo directing the government to do more to protect school board members from what it sees as an escalating threat of violence.”
He even noted that the Biden administration was taking assets used to fight real terrorists and bringing them to bear against American parents. “The government even wants people to report threats to the FBI’s National Threat Operation Center, a group traditionally tasked with monitoring terror threats,” Meredith said.
“All we want is to protect our kids. Because we are parents. We are momma bears and papa bears. We are not domestic terrorists,” said former Wall Street Journal journalist turned Parents Defending Education activist Asra Nomani.
“The Alliance Defending Freedom is calling on the Justice Department to back down. It says parents are speaking up because they are fed up with everything from mask mandates to controversial curriculum,” Meredith added.
The proliferation of these lies and smears against protesting parents were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Progressive on CBS and Ford Motor Company on NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund. CBS Evening News as also asked people to “text Norah” at this number: (202) 217-1107.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
October 6, 2021
6:00:24 p.m. EasternMIKE EMANUEL: Breaking tonight, the increasing pushback against the Biden administration over its efforts to stifle dissent on the part of parents against school boards disregarding their wishes over the children's education. Many of those parents say their free speech and parental rights are being threatened. Correspondent Mark Meredith starts us off tonight. Good evening, Mark.
MARK MEREDITH: Mike, good evening to you. The Biden administration is not backing down from plans to get involved in school board security, even as both conservatives and education activists amplify their outrage at all this. They are accusing the government of simply trying to police free speech.
[Cuts to video]
KRISTEN CLARKE (Asst. Attorney General): The attorney general's memorandum is focused on threats, on.
SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): So, do see parent as a threat? You see parents asking.
MEREDITH: But Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke says public servants are under attack. She says the Justice Department stands by its recent memo directing the government to do more to protect school board members from what it sees as an escalating threat of violence.
PROTESTERS: No more masks! No more masks! No more masks!
MEREDITH: The government even wants people to report threats to the FBI’s National Threat Operation Center, a group traditionally tasked with monitoring terror threats.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Parents that are fighting back.
MEREDITH: Parents, including a former Journalist-turned activist tell Fox they have no plans to stay quiet.
ASRA NOMANI (Parents Defending Education): All we want is to protect our kids. Because we are parents. We are momma bears and papa bears. We are not domestic terrorists.
MEREDITH: The Alliance Defending Freedom is calling on the Justice Department to back down. It says parents are speaking up because they are fed up with everything from mask mandates to controversial curriculum.
The advocacy group writes parents, quote: “Have the right to express those concerns to elected officials and shouldn't live in fear of government punishment for doing so.”
The White House says parents do have a right to speak up, but it says threats of violence will not be tolerated.
PRESS SEC. JEN PSAKI: Regardless of the reasoning, threats and violence against public servants is illegal.
MEREDITH: The National School Boards Association declined an interview with Fox, but in a statement thanked the Biden administration for addressing the issue. Still, experts believe engagement on educational issues will only increase ahead of next year's midterm elections.
KATHARINE CORNELL GORKA (Heritage Foundation): I think that parents are going to continue to work together as they see the power that they can have over their children's education.
[Cuts back to live]
MEREDITH: It's not just the feds taking action. Individual school districts are also stepping up with their own security. We’ve seen some districts add metal detectors, others want local law enforcement to be more visible during those public meetings. Mike.
EMANUEL: Mark Meredith starting us off this evening in Washington. Mark, many thanks.
