Three more states exited the National School Board Association (NSBA) amid a bipartisan pushback to a letter that the organization submitted to the White House calling for federal intervention to deal with parents whose actions were allegedly akin to “domestic terrorism.”
On Nov. 30, the Florida School Board Association and Georgia School Board Association voted to leave the NSBA “effective immediately,” according to correspondence obtained by the Daily Caller. The Alabama Association of School Boards voted to leave the NSBA on Dec. 2, the Daily Caller exclusively reported.
A source just confirmed that the Florida School Board Association voted unanimously to leave the National School Board Association.
— Chrissy Clark (@chrissyclark_) November 30, 2021
A source just confirmed to me that the delegates of the Alabama School Board Association voted to leave the National School Board Association.
— Chrissy Clark (@chrissyclark_) December 3, 2021
The Georgia School Board Association’s (GSBA) letter announcing the group’s departure from the national organization cited a “persistent pattern of dysfunction within the NSBA organization” as its reason for leaving, though the GSBA also noted its dissatisfaction with the letter to President Joe Biden. GSBA withheld dues to the NSBA in the lead-up to its exit from the national organization.
“The letter that the NSBA Leadership sent to President Biden calling for broad federal law enforcement intervention on behalf of school board members and concerning since GSBA did not ask for it, was not consulted with and did not agree with many of the statements it in, but it is not the sole reason GSBA is withdrawing from NSBA,” the GSBA announcement reads.
“GSBA believes school board members, school system staff, and students should not have to endure threats and abuse and encourages our membership to work with local law enforcement when necessary to maintain order during public meetings or other schools events,” the announcement continues.
The NSBA issued a since-deleted letter addressed to President Joe Biden on Sept. 29 requesting the assistance of the federal government, including the FBI and the Department of Justice, in dealing with allegedly unruly parents. Email correspondence confirmed that NSBA leadership was in communication with the White House leading up to the letter which dubbed parents’ actions as acts of “domestic terrorism.”
Dr. Steve Gallon III, a member of the Florida School Board Association (FSBA), said in correspondence obtained by the Daily Caller that the NSBA was “severely damaged” by sending the Sept. 29 letter to the White House. He also claimed that there is “no effort toward transparency and accountability among the perpetrators of actions that have led to this severe harm to a national organization.”
“A process involving frank and open transparency will determine who is or are complicit or even the culprits in the national, devastating, and destructive debacle,” Gallon said. “Failure to conduct the process, and ultimately hold those accountable through termination, removal, sanctions, and/or resignations will further erode any sense of strength and integrity of this Board.”
A slew of states already withdrew or distanced themselves from the NSBA, and the efforts appear to be bipartisan. (RELATED: Wisconsin School Board Association Deals Another Major Blow To National Group)
Among the 11 states that took action by withdrawing their membership or dues from the NSBA are Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. However, some traditionally blue states, including Illinois and New Jersey, condemned the NSBA for its letter without formally leaving the organization.
Traditionally red states including Alaska, Kansas, Nebraska, Alaska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and West Virginia did not publicly respond to the NSBA’s letter nor did they respond to requests for comment from Parents Defending Education, a concerned parent organization tracking the NSBA’s downfall.
Despite the pushback from state school board associations, the NSBA doubled down on promoting left-wing ideology and plans to host an “equity symposium” in January featuring an activist who calls for in-school “safe spaces.” One state board member told the Daily Caller that she is frustrated with the organization’s priorities.