Granite State Times

The New Hampshire School Boards Association (NHSBA) has left the National School Boards Association (NSBA) following the national group’s characterization of parents attending school board meetings as “domestic terrorists.”

The New Hampshire association is one of five states to leave the national body. The others are Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The NHSBA made its announcement in the press statement below:

“Dear NHSBA Members – This email is to inform you that NHSBA has decided to withdraw its membership from the National School Boards Association, effective immediately. NSBA’s recent actions have made our continued membership untenable. NHSBA is finalizing its formal letter to the National School Boards Association relative to our withdrawal. We will share that letter with membership as soon as possible. The New Hampshire School Boards Association was not consulted before the letter/press release was sent by the National School Boards Association to President Biden regarding disruptions at school board meetings. NHSBA was not consulted, was not asked to opine, and was not asked to provide input." 

The NSBA entered unchartered territory when it asked President Joe Biden for assistance in dealing with irate parents expressing concern about controversial curriculum in schools, such as critical race theory, and COVID-related policies such as mask and vaccine mandates.

In response, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland enlisted no less than the Federal Bureau of Investigations to assist.

“The Department is steadfast in its commitment to protect all people in the United States from violence, threats of violence, and other forms of intimidation arid harassment,” Garland said in a memo.

Garland’s actions were widely criticized.  

The NASB itself later distanced itself from the initial memo noting, “there was no justification for some of the language included in the letter.”

Last week, it was revealed that Garland’s daughter, Rebecca Garland, is married to Alexander “Xan” Newman, co-founder of Panorama Education.

Panorama Education contracts with school boards across the country to offer “social-emotional learning.”

The company is unabashedly leftist even though its main stream of income appears to come from public school systems.

For example, the company offered up a book list via Twitter including a work by former leftwing terrorist Willam Ayers.

Raj Pillai, a parent and activist in Plainfield, Illinois, said he believes Panorama Education is benefiting from COVID relief funds that school boards must direct to the company. Pillai’s school board, Plainfield School District 202, like many others across the nation, has quietly paid $144,000 to Panorama in recent years.

Garland’s office was also in close contact with the NASB in the weeks leading up to its announcement leaving many to speculate the original letter was drafted with Garland’s assistance.