A new letter from New York Attorney General Letitia James, a far-left activist who campaigned for office on the idea that she would “get” President Donald Trump, then fabricated mortgage claims against him that resulted in a half-billion dollar penalty, makes it look like she wants parents censored at school-board meetings.
Her “victory” over Trump was short-lived as an appeals court threw out her penalty because it failed to comply with one of those legal documents that are important: the U.S. Constitution.
Now she’s dispatched a letter to school boards suggesting strongly how they can censor parents on topics they wish to keep under the rug.
Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley, a noted law professor, commentator and adviser to Congress on constitutional issues, said, “The letter is giving these boards guidance on how to stop public debate in their meetings on issues that are currently unpopular and leading to rising opposition among parents and students. The timing of the letter before the midterm elections only magnifies suspicions that James is nudging boards to prohibit all comments on these divisive issues.”
He said there was a lawsuit filed in New York against James by parents and educators over her letter that is seen as “threatening those who are raising transgender policies in public meetings.”
He said, “The lawsuit exposes an effort that seems clearly designed to chill such public discussions of transgender issues. The ‘guidance letter’ warns school boards that discussing student trans issues at public meetings could violate the right to privacy for affected students and, if board members engage in such public discussions, ‘they may be removed’ by state education officials.”
He said that the letter appears to be a threat to those who want to discuss certain topics, and also to offer a cover for boards to censor comments.
A report from Fox News said the lawsuit targets James’ work to encourage cancelation of those with concerns about trans students in girls’ sports and locker rooms.
Her letter actually, “warned of the removal of any school board member who uses the wrong pronoun for a trans person, or if they allow students to publicly speak out at school board meetings about their fears and discomfort with student trans athletes using the wrong locker room for their biological sex,” the report said.
Massapequa Union Free School District Board Chair Kerry Wachter is a plaintiff, and confirmed she was told that James’ office instructed her to mute and dismiss any board meeting speaker that expressed views opposing trans athletes in girls’ locker rooms and sports.
“They’re saying if we allow this discussion in our board meetings, she can come in and remove us from the board,” Watcher said. “They want me to stop public comment and stop them from speaking.”
Her board has heard concerns from female athletes whose privacy and personal space is violated by males in sports for females.
Those fights are becoming more and more common as the American public fights back against the transgender ideologies demanded under the Joe Biden administration.
The Massapequa Union Free School District recently adopted a policy that has students use restrooms and locker rooms based on their biological sex.
Kim Hermann of the Southeastern Legal Foundation said the agenda is clear: “They’re not saying you can’t talk about this topic, they’re saying that nobody can speak out say in favor of biological sex. If a transgender activist or an LGBTQ activist and say ‘boys need to be in girls’ sports, we need to have boys in girls’ locker rooms, these people are awful,’ they can say anything they want… but anyone who disagrees with them can not speak at these meetings anymore.”
Turley said, “The letter should raise free speech concerns. It seems designed to intimidate some who want to raise these policies while giving others support for shutting down debates. Polls show that the public is generally opposed to transgender policies on pronouns, sports, and bathroom access.”
