TALLAHASSEE -- Governor Ron DeSantis is accusing the Biden administration of "weaponizing" the FBI to go after parents who are angry at local school boards over issues such as mask mandates.
DeSantis tweeted in response to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who ordered the FBI and prosecutors to work with local officials to fight what he called "a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence" against educators and school board members nationwide, by people upset over mask mandates, vaccine mandates, and other issues such as the teaching of "critical race theory" in schools. Garland wants prosecutors to hold strategy sessions to respond to the "rise in criminal conduct... toward school personnel."
DeSantis said Florida will defend free speech rights "and will not allow federal agents to squelch dissent.:
The National School Boards association asked for federal intevention, pointing to allged instances of intimidation, threats and harassment in states such as Florida, California, Georgia, New Jersey and Ohio.
The state Republican Party tweeted in favor of DeSantis, saying the feds are going after families, while Democrat Nikki Fried, who's running for governor in 2022, accused DeSantis of "contempt for the law."
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