Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) is urging parents not to be concerned about a Department of Justice memo directing the FBI to work to address threats of violence against school board members and educators.
During an appearance on “Fox & Friends” on Thursday morning, Crenshaw said, “They want to paint you as a bunch of rubes. They want to paint you as a bunch of crazies. And they want to paint you as violent.”
He continued, “And see, that’s actually where it gets really bad because that’s what Merrick Garland is doing. He kept saying that in his testimony, about ‘Oh we’re just looking at threats of violence.’ What threats of violence? Name one. Name one incident.”
There have been reports of threats of violence against school board members as parents are seeking to voice their opinions about children’s education.
And Attorney General Merrick Garland directed the FBI to work with local leaders to address threats of violence and intimidation. However, Republicans argue that the move is designed to intimidate parents who are “protesting peacefully at school board meetings.”
Crenshaw claimed, “They’re trying to intimidate parents out of this. And my message to parents has been, it’s just words, it’s just intimidation tactics. They can’t do anything to you and you should double down and keep doing what you’re doing and let those school boards know how you feel.”
Watch the video below:
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) to parents at school board meetings, where officials have received threats of violence:
— The Recount (@therecount) October 28, 2021
“They wanna paint you as violent … What threats of violence? Name one … You should double down and keep doing what you’re doing.” pic.twitter.com/gAIKeOFxUX
In his memo, Garland wrote, “While spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution, that protection does not extend to threats of violence or efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views.”
“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values. Those who dedicate their time and energy to ensuring that our children receive a proper education in a safe environment deserve to be able to do their work without fear for their safety,” he added.
During a hearing on Wednesday, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) asked the attorney general if he considered the “chilling effect your memorandum might have on parents exercising their constitutional rights.”
“I don’t believe it’s reasonable to read this memorandum as chilling anyone’s rights. It’s about threats of violence, and it expressly recognizes a constitutional right to make arguments about your children’s education,” Garland maintained.