The federal government recently announced it would . The announcement comes amid growing acrimony between parental groups and public school leaders over issues like face masks and critical race theory. It鈥檚 part of broader social issues鈥攖he coronavirus pandemic and social justice efforts. Yet, where some see a threat鈥攐thers see an exercise of free speech.
In recent months, as the public discourse over issues like social justice, race, and the pandemic has deteriorated, so have local school board meetings. In school districts with mask mandates, the climate has been downright hostile.
鈥淚t feels like we鈥檙e just under constant attack," said Leon Superintendent Rocky Hanna.
According to WUSF Public Media in Tampa, Sarasota School Board Chairwoman Shirley Brown said she recently had more than a dozen people show up at her house, carrying signs calling her a tyrant, and yelling at her through a bull horn to resign.
"I'm not sure if it was the Proud Boys, but the boy with the -- the man with the speaker at my house last night, he had a Proud Boys T-shirt on. And I know they stormed the Capitol with guns. I don't know what they are going to do here," said Brown.
That sort of action鈥攕howing up to people's houses鈥� toes the line, said Florida School Board Association Executive Director Andrea Messina.
鈥淲hen it crosses the line is when it moves beyond speech on an issue or topic related to education, and instead, it focuses on a person," she said.
Messina started teaching in 1987 and says she's never seen the education climate this bad.
"I鈥檝e spoken to people who鈥檝e been in education two, to three times longer than I have [and] they鈥檝e never seen the climate like this. I鈥檝e heard someone liken it to the last time they saw this level in intensity and emotion, was when schools were [de] segregated.鈥�
Schools were largely desegregated in the 1960s. As for what鈥檚 driving today鈥檚 fury? Messina can鈥檛 say for sure. But she has her own theories. During Florida鈥檚 2004-05 storm season, Hurricane Ivan hit Charlotte County hard. Messina was living there at the time. Businesses and homes were destroyed and the district lost a third of its public schools. Grief counselors were brought in to help.
"[And] one of the things they told us was鈥n the backside of grief, is anger. That those educators needed to be prepared for people to lash out in anger because they had no other way to express it. So when you ask about COVID, I think there鈥檚 an element of that.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on October 4th that it would be convening a meeting of federal and local law enforcement agencies to come up with ways to address a rise in criminal conduct鈥攊ncluding threats, harassment, and intimidation鈥攁imed at local school board members. The announcement drew a rebuke from conservatives like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran says the DOJ memo treads 鈥渄angerously close to the constitutional right to free speech, if not trampling on it.鈥�
鈥淲e will not be strong-armed or allow others to be," Corcoran told the State Board of Education. "Should the federal government's efforts even stray slightly from justice, they should prepare for a swift and zealous response.鈥�
The school boards are hoping people will begin to calm down.
鈥淚鈥檒l borrow some of Richard Corcoran鈥檚 words," said Messina. "We need to give each other grace and space."
Leon鈥檚 Hanna has taken most of the verbal abuse leveled at his district. Leon is one of six school districts suing to overturn the state鈥檚 ban on their mandatory mask policies.
鈥淭here are those haters out there that cuss me and my wife out in the parking lot at the grocery store. But the vast majority of people in our community, I think they鈥檙e appreciative of our approach. I really do.鈥�
Educators have long asked for more public input. Now they鈥檙e getting it. Just not exactly in the way they may have wanted.
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