Biden admin to disband parent council staffed with left-wing activists

(Daily Caller) – The Biden administration is disbanding a council aimed at improving family relationships with schools following a lawsuit by several parental rights in education groups who alleged the council was “partisan” and rubber-stamps activist demands.

In June, the Department of Education (DOE) announced the creation of its National Parents and Families Engagement Council to help the administration facilitate relationships between parents and schools. Parental rights in education groups and conservative organizations, including America First Legal, Parents Defending Education and Fight for Schools, sued the Biden administration, alleging the council violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) which mandates that advisory groups be bipartisan and free of outside influence by any special interest. The lawsuit was dismissed after the DOE said it is disbanding the council.

“The Department has informed Plaintiffs that it is immediately and permanently disbanding the Council and that the Council will not hold any future meetings,” according to the dismissal obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Based on these representations, Plaintiffs have agreed to dismiss their lawsuit without prejudice.”

The council included The National Parents Union, a group that believes schools should be transformed “to eradicate generational, institutions of oppression.” Keri Rodrigues, the president of The National Parents Union, defended a letter by the National School Board Association which compared parents “to domestic terrorists” and requested that federal law enforcement monitor school boards.

Also on the council was The National Action Network, a group that works towards “a modern civil rights agenda,” and The League of United Latin American Citizens, a group which pushes “educational attainment and political influence” of Hispanic Americans.

“We are gratified that Secretary [Miguel] Cardona’s Potemkin village ‘Parents Council’ will be disbanded, because families should never be used merely as props to advance progressive policies,” Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, said in a shared statement to the DCNF. “Parental engagement is essential for students to succeed; accordingly, it is critical that all voices and perspectives be integrated into any feedback mechanism that the Biden Administration operates – and that the Department of Education respect the rule of law.”

The DOE did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.