WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has thrust itself into the center of the heated debate over school mask mandates with actions aimed at shielding school boards from threats of violence and intimidation and state-level political pressure.
The administration’s intervention in the issue has sparked an outcry from Republicans about parental rights and federal overreach. GOP lawmakers have condemned a Department of Justice memo on school-related threats as an effort to criminalize protests by parents.
The memo from Attorney General Merrick Garland promising to steer federal resources toward identifying and prosecuting threats against school officials followed the Education Department’s investigations of states that have prohibited school mask requirements. The White House declined to comment on why schools have become the center of the political debate on COVID-19.
