A look at the groups supporting school board protesters nationwide
The Poway Unified School District, in San Diego County, Calif., was planning a pretty typical school board meeting in September. They were hearing reports from their student representatives and honoring their teachers and other staff members of the year.
Because of the pandemic, the general public has been asked to join and comment via livestream.
That hasn't stopped protesters from showing up in person.
"In the August meeting, they were pounding on the windows," said board member Darshana Patel. "So little by little it's been escalating — they've been antsy and escalating their hostility and aggression toward the board."
In several states and districts around the country, protestors have been disrupting school board meetings. They're opposed to mask policies. Vaccine mandates. LGBTQ rights. Sex education. Removing police from schools. Teaching about race and American history, or sometimes, anything called "diversity, equity and inclusion" or even "social-emotional learning."
The protests aren't ubiquitous, but they're widespread and intense enough that the National School Boards Association asked President Biden to step in, and Attorney General Merrick Garland then directed the FBI to help.
What happened — what is happening — in
