III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 431 

Supporting the right of parents to be the leading voice in the education 

of their children. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 28, 2021 

Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself, Mr. BURR, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. 

MCCONNELL, Mr. MARSHALL, Ms. LUMMIS, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. JOHNSON, 

Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. RISCH, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. 

TILLIS, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. TUBERVILLE, Mr. HOEVEN, Mr. 

MORAN, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. LEE, Mr. 

COTTON, Mr. GRASSLEY, Ms. ERNST, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. 

BARRASSO, Mr. WICKER, Mr. LANKFORD, and Mr. CORNYN) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 

Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the right of parents to be the leading voice in 

the education of their children. 

Whereas parents are the first teachers of their children and 

have the inherent and fundamental right to make decisions regarding the upbringing, education, and care of 

their children; 

Whereas parental involvement in the educational system contributes to a collaborative environment with school administrators and teachers, which enhances the educational outcomes of all students; 


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•SRES 431 IS 

Whereas school board officials, school administrators, and 

teachers are public servants, and parents are entitled to 

demand accountability from such public servants for policies and actions that affect their children; 

Whereas the public meetings of the school board in Loudoun 

County, Virginia, have become emblematic of the increased engagement by concerned parents across the 

United States with respect to school policies and educational curricula impacting their children; 

Whereas labor organizations representing teachers and school 

boards have begun advocating that administrators and 

teachers should not listen to parents who express concerns regarding such policies and curricula; 

Whereas school administrators and school board officials have 

alarmingly implemented policies designed— 

(1) to restrict parental involvement at public meetings; 

(2) to prohibit parental visitation with children during school hours; and 

(3) to limit parental input on policies and race-based 

curricula taught in the classroom; 

Whereas, in a September 2021 letter to President Joseph R. 

Biden, Jr., the National School Boards Association— 

(1) compared grassroots demonstrations and protests by concerned parents against harmful school policies 

and educational curricula affecting their children to ‘‘domestic terrorism and hate crimes’’ against school boards, 

administrators, and teachers; and 

(2) requested that the President use Federal law enforcement resources and legal authorities designed to address domestic terrorism, such as the authorities provided 

by the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107–56; 115 


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•SRES 431 IS 

Stat. 272), to investigate and prosecute parents who protest against such policies and curricula; 

Whereas, in response to such letter, United States Attorney 

General Merrick Garland issued a memorandum, dated 

October 4, 2021, directing Federal law enforcement resources to be used to discourage, investigate, and prosecute parents engaged in such demonstrations and protests; and 

Whereas parents should be at the forefront of the decisions 

affecting the education and well-being of their children, 

and school boards, school administrators, and teachers 

should work collaboratively with parents to improve educational outcomes rather than treat parents as intruders 

in the education of their children: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the right of parents to be the lead3 ing voice in the education of their children; 

4 (2) condemns threats and acts of violence 

5 against school board officials, school administrators, 

6 and teachers; 

7 (3) denounces attempts by school board offi8 cials, school administrators, and teachers to restrict 

9 parental involvement in the development and imple10 mentation of school policies and educational cur11 ricula affecting their children; 

12 (4) rejects the threatened or actual use of Fed13 eral or State law enforcement resources to intimiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:27 Oct 29, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR431.IS SR431

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•SRES 431 IS 

1 date parents and silence parental involvement in de2 cisions affecting the education of their children; 

3 (5) encourages schools and parents to enter 

4 into constructive and open dialogue regarding school 

5 policies, curricula, and instructional materials to im6 prove the educational outcomes of all students; and 

7 (6) demands Attorney General Merrick Garland 

8 rescind the memorandum issued on October 4, 2021, 

9 that inappropriately directs Federal law enforcement 

10 resources to be used against parents advocating on 

11 behalf of their children against harmful school poli12 cies, curricula, and instructional materials. 

Æ 


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