According to court documents filed Monday, the United States Department of Education agreed to disband its new National Parents and Families Engagement Council following a lawsuit filed against the council by multiple parental rights groups, Fox News Digital reported.
The Education Department launched the controversial council in June 2022 to provide "a channel for parents and families to constructively participate in their children's education," according to a now-deleted page from the department's website.
The council's goal was to hold meetings to discuss "the different ways schools are providing academic, mental health and social and emotional support, and how families can best constructively engage with schools."
Organizations on the council included Al Sharpton's National Action Network and Black Lives Matter supports such as Mocha Moms Inc., United Parent Leaders Action Network, and UnidosUS.
Parental rights groups, including Fight for School, Parents Defending Education, and America First Legal, filed a joint lawsuit against the Education Department in July and accused the council of being politically biased and violating several provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
The groups alleged that the council members disproportionately supported the Biden administration and that nearly 80% of their leaders donated to Democrats.
"To have a fair balance of viewpoints and competent deliberation on students' needs, there must be fairly equal representation from both sides of the political spectrum," the lawsuit read. "That is not the case here, as the Council consists of groups that are already supportive of this administration."
Court documents filed Monday revealed that the Education Department agreed to "immediately and permanently" dissolve the council, and consequently, the parental rights groups agreed to dismiss their lawsuit without prejudice.
Parents Defending Education President Nicole Neily told Fox News Digital that she was pleased with the decision.
"We are gratified that Secretary Cardona's Potemkin village 'Parents Council' will be disbanded, because families should never be used merely as props to advance progressive policies," Neily stated. "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."
Following the agreement, the Education Department released a statement addressing the council's termination.
"On June 14, the Department announced the creation of the National Parents and Families Engagement Council," the Education Department stated. "Several organizations subsequently sued, alleging that the Department violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) when it established the Council. The Department disagrees but has decided to not move forward with the National Parents and Families Engagement Council. The Department will continue connecting with individual parents and families across the country, including through townhalls, and providing parents and families with a wide array of tools and resources to use to support our students."
Post a Comment