Parents claim they were targeted for protesting critical-race theory; lawsuit filed in 13

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) – Ohio has joined a lawsuit with 13 other states against the federal government, asking for documents they claim will show the FBI targeted and spied on parents who protested at local school board meetings.

The lawsuit names President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Department of Justice, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and the Department of Education.

The lawsuit demands the federal government answer Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests about communication between the federal government with the National School Boards Association (NSBA).

The lawsuit claims that because of a letter from the NSBA that called some parents “domestic terrorists,” the attorney general’s office released a memo to the FBI.

The memo from Attorney General Garland dated Oct. 4 stated: “Citing an increase in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in our nation’s public schools, today Attorney General Merrick B. Garland directed the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to meet in the next 30 days with federal, state, Tribal, territorial and local law enforcement leaders to discuss strategies for addressing this disturbing trend…’ Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values.”

The lawsuit claims the result of this memo was conducting FBI surveillance on parents.

The documentation does not show that any FBI surveillance occurred.

“Targeting concerned parents as if they were domestic terrorists is deeply troubling, and we deserve some answers,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. “Protesting is a freedom all Americans share and is not a criminal act that warrants surveillance by the federal government.”

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office says the people targeted were protesting critical race theory, although that is not mentioned in the lawsuit.

FOX 8 reached out to Yost’s office to obtain any documentation that would show Ohio parents were targeted.

According to the Brookings Institute,  critical race theory states that U.S. social institutions, such as the criminal justice system, education system, labor market, housing market, and healthcare system, have racism embedded in laws, regulations, rules, and procedures that lead to differential outcomes by race.

Indiana’s attorney general filed the initial lawsuit, in which he claims the Oct. 4 memo from Attorney General Garland was “unfounded and abusive.”

Along with Ohio, Indiana, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah have joined the lawsuit.