AG Garland is directing the Justice Department to address threats against school officials and teachers so they can ‘work without fear for their safety’

• The National School Board Association wrote a letter to Biden asking for help with threats.
• The Department of Justice will create a task force to address threats against school officials.
• Attorney General Merrick Garland said threats against school officials counter American values.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Attorneys’ Offices were directed Monday by Attorney General Merrick Garland to meet with officials throughout the country to address increasing harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school board members, teachers, and workers.

Within 30 days, Garland instructed the bureau and offices to meet and strategize with federal, state, Tribal, territorial, and local law enforcement leaders across the country’s 14,000 public school districts, according to a memo from Garland.

“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values,” Garland’s memorandum said. “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.”

In the coming days, measures addressing the rise in crimes against school personnel will be announced, including the creation of a task force and specialized training and guidance for school officials, according to a DoJ press release. The training will teach staff how to identify threatening conduct and gather evidence to aid investigators, the DoJ said.

The announcement comes three days after the National School Board Association wrote a letter asking the Biden administration for help dealing with escalating threats of violence at school board meetings, which it called “an immediate threat.”

“As the threats grow and news of extremist hate organizations showing up at school board meetings is being
reported, this is a critical time for a proactive approach to deal with this difficult issue,” the letter said.