Just one day after the Biden Justice Department formally labeled concerned parents “domestic terrorists,” a Michigan police officer and mother of a special needs student was reported to federal authorities as a terrorist threat, despite never making any violent or threatening statements.
She is now suing the school board and two school board officers in federal court for violating her civil rights.
“No parent should have to fear for their livelihood or their liberty because they stood up for their children,” said Steve Delie, an attorney with the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, which is representing plaintiff Sandra Hernden. “We hope that this case empowers parents to have the courage to speak out for what they believe is best for their children.”
Hernden's ordeal began in March 2020, when the Chippewa Valley School system closed its campuses and went to a remote, then “hybrid” model.
Her three children suffered, including one who is a special needs student in need of in-person instruction who saw his GPA drop from 3.5 to 1.5.
That's when Hernden began attending school board meetings and emailing school board members, criticizing them for ignoring students.
That didn't sit well with school board members.
Hernden is also a police officer. School officials, unhappy with being criticized, reported her to department supervisors in an attempt to have her fired.
“On December 11, 2020, Elizabeth Pyden, the Secretary of Chippewa Valley Schools, forwarded her email exchanges with Sandra to her supervisor, stating that this behavior was unbecoming of a police officer,” reports Mackinac.
The department looked into her exchanges and, finding no violent, threatening or inappropriate comments, declined to discipline or fire her.
That's when school officials stepped up their targeting and harassment of Hernden.
“Her attempts to speak at school board meetings were increasingly met with hostility, and she was often interrupted or prevented from speaking. Sandra found a news article about a 6th Circuit Court decision holding that restricting the public's ability to speak at board meetings was a violation of their First Amendment Rights,” Mackinac reports.
Sandra forwarded the article to school board members, reminding them it is unconstitutional to silence members of the public to avoid criticism.
That's when school officials reported her to the Justice Department as a terrorist.
Just one day after Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo describing concerned parents as “domestic terrorists,” Frank Bednard, President of the Chippewa Valley Schools, informed members he reported Hernden to the FBI as a potential terrorist threat.
Bednard urged the Biden administration to silence Hernden and the parents' rights group “Moms for Liberty” by any means necessary.
“Anything that could be done to curb this behavior by these people would be greatly appreciated by our board, administration, and our community,” Bednard told the Biden administration. That's when Herden sued, seeking just $1 and an end to the thuggish targeting of parents.
“I have gotten hundreds of messages from Michigan and across the country from parents and teachers, thanking me for taking up this fight because so many were too scared to say anything,” she tells USA Today.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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END this BS now Its wrong
We’re semi fascists, but they are the real, full blooded thing.
Perhaps Herden should run for school board as well, and get these power freaks out if office.
The goal of communism is to control government, disarm the populace, make them ignorant and unempowered, control their money, their communication and their transportation. Which of these have not been accomplished?
Frank Bednard is a special kind of bureaucratic low life!! He is a domestic terrorist! He, and every school board member, or school official, that terrorize parents to keep quiet need to share a cell with those being held wrongfully for being at the capital on Jan. 6!
It’s a joke that the left is so concerned with children now. They have no problem killing them. so why now?
Sue the school district into bankruptcy. Take them for every cent they have. Then sue the members personally. Then, have them arrested for filing false police reports.