Garland Denies Knowing About Highly Publicized Virginia School Rape During Hearing: Here are the Main Takeaways

  • by:
  • 03/02/2023

Attorney General Merrick Garland denied Thursday knowing about the Northern Virginia school rape and suggested he called for federal investigations of parents without independently confirming a spike in threats made to school boards and teachers. 

During the hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, republican lawmakers questioned Garland over his call on the FBI and Justice Department to address “violent threats” made by parent activists against teachers and school boards. 

Here are the main takeaways, as reported by the Daily Signal. 

1. Garland Denied Knowing about the Loudoun County Rape Case 

In their letter, the National School Boards Association cited the arrest of a Loudoun County man as evidence of “threats” made against school board members. However, they failed to mention that the individual is the father of a girl allegedly raped in her school bathroom by a boy wearing a skirt. 

“I didn’t know anything about this case,” Garland said, adding “this sounds like a state case, and I’m not familiar with it.” 

Even though it is a state case, it has received national and global attention, so it's hard to believe that a high-ranking government official is unfamiliar with the matter. 

2. Garland Suggests He Didn’t Conduct Research 

In his October memorandum, Garland cited a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers and staff.” However, Thursday’s hearing shows that he simply took the word of the National School Boards Association.

“I read the letter,” Garland responded, “and we have been seeing over time….”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jordan fired back. “So, you read the letter? That is your source? Is there some study, some effort, some investigation someone did that said there has been an uptick, or you just take the words of the National School Boards Association?”

“The National School Boards Association, which represents thousands of school boards and school board members, says there are these kinds of threats,” Garland said, adding, “we read in the newspapers reports of threats of violence.” 

3. Garland Denies Having Stakes in the Game 

During the hearing, Rep. Mike Johnson called for an investigation into Garland’s actions, suggesting he was motivated by his “family’s financial stake in this issue. He was referring to reports that Garland’s memo presented a conflict of interest due to his son-in-law’s education company that conducts race-focused surveys and trainings described as “social-emotional learning.” 

“Published reports show that your son-in-law co-founded a company called Panorama Education,” Johnson said. “We now know that the company publishes and sells critical race theory and so-called anti-racism materials to schools across the country, and it works with school districts nationwide to obtain and analyze data on students, often without parental consent.” He then asked Garland if he was familiar with Title V of the Code of Federal Regulations addressing rules of impartiality for executive branch officials and employees. 

“I am very familiar with it,” Garland replied. “I want to be clear once again that there’s nothing in this memorandum which has any effect on the kinds of curriculums that are taught or the ability of parents to complain.” 

“There is no company in America or hopefully no law-abiding citizen in America who believes that threats of violence should not be prevented,” he continued. “There are no conflicts of interest that anyone could have.” 

Image: by is licensed under
ADVERTISEMENT

Opinion

View All

JACK POSOBIEC: The Right's response to the 'bloodbath' media outrage was 'abysmal' and 'weak'

"They are controlling you. You are acting like controlled opposition and you need to wake up and you ...

Barack Obama stages surprise visit to UK for private meeting with UK PM Rishi Sunak

“President Obama’s team made contact and obviously the prime minister was very happy to to meet with ...

'Woke' beliefs correlated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, unhappiness in Finland: study

The correlation was most pronounced amongst female college students in non-STEM related fields....

ETHAN PECK: The ADL smeared me as antisemitic for opposing the WEF and UN, even though I'm Jewish

It didn’t matter to the ADL that I’m an Israeli-American Jew and staunch supporter of Israel, and tha...