Bilirakis Defends Parents’ Rights

Washington, DC: Earlier this week, Representative Gus Bilirakis and a group of his colleagues from Florida demanded answers from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in response to a recently issued memorandum by Attorney General Garland directing federal law enforcement resources to be used in response to concerned parents confronting school board members and school administration officials over consideration and implementation of Critical Race Theory and related curricula in public schools. The DOJ memorandum was a reaction from a plea sent from the National School Board Association (NSBA) to President Biden absurdly characterizing parents' constitutionally-protected speech as "the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes."

"Studies have consistently proven that parental engagement leads to higher levels of student achievement, which ought to be everyone's goal. Parents are the primary stakeholders in their children's education and they have every right to express their concerns and beliefs over what their children are being taught in our schools. We should be encouraging more parental involvement-not trying to stifle those who don't support this Administration's liberal social agenda, " said Congressman Gus Bilirakis. "Thankfully, we have a great Governor in Florida who signed a law preventing CRT from being taught in Florida's public schools. I am also thankful that dedicated public servants on our local K-12 school boards are working to protect our children from indoctrination. In fact, I am proud that the Pinellas County School Board Members and Superintendent have recently made it clear to the NSBA that parents' rights to engage with their Board, even on contentious issues, are fully protected and supported. They have also expressed outrage at the notion that the national organization would be so far off-base with its destructive and unhelpful position on this matter."