AG Bondi Orders DOJ to Defend Parental, Speech Rights in Schools

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed the Justice Department to actively safeguard parental rights and First Amendment freedoms within the public education system, responding to what she describes as an increasing imposition of radical gender and racial ideologies in schools. In a memorandum addressed to DOJ and FBI officials, Bondi emphasized the constitutional protections that allow parents to speak freely at school board meetings without fear of retaliation and underscored parents' fundamental right to guide their children's moral and religious education. This directive follows the Supreme Court's ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which requires public schools to provide religious exemptions to families objecting to certain curricular content, including LGBT-themed instruction. Bondi's order also includes monitoring state and local officials for violations and pursuing enforcement actions against those who suppress parental dissent or infringe on religious freedoms. The memo references past incidents, such as a Virginia father’s conviction and subsequent pardon related to protesting school policies on bathroom use, highlighting the broader national debate over parental authority versus school policies. Bondi framed the DOJ's actions as a restoration of law and order and a return of power to the people amid what she characterizes as a politically driven suppression of parental rights under the previous administration.