The Political Insider

A controversial letter comparing concerned parents to domestic terrorists has led to the National School Boards Association (NSBA) losing 17 state affiliates as well as the potential for millions of dollars in membership dues.

“At least 17 state affiliates have severed ties with the group,” Axios reported by early December, “and some are even considering establishing a competitor.”

Those affiliates, according to estimates, accounted for over 40 percent of all member contributions in 2019.

Axios adds that despite apologizing for the letter, “the fallout could be seven figures in annual funding.”

RELATED: Emails Reveal NSBA Coordinated With White House Before AG Mobilized FBI To ‘Identify And Prosecute’ Parents Who Were Compared To ‘Domestic Terrorists’

National School Boards Association (NSBA) Losing Money

The NSBA coordinated with the White House and the Department of Justice (DOJ) over the controversial letter sent to President Biden comparing concerned parents to domestic terrorists.

The letter sent on September 29th requested an investigation into whether or not confrontations from outraged parents regarding mask mandates or Critical Race Theory (CRT) curricula amounted to a violation of the Patriot Act.

The group suggested that “the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”

The Patriot Act was designed primarily to stop the threat of Islamic Jihadists.

House Republicans released documents provided by a whistleblower that allegedly show the FBI investigated parents critical of local school boards using “counterterrorism tools.”

The documents purportedly show the FBI created a tag for threats against teachers and school administrators.

The ‘threat tag’ was formulated as part of the bureau’s implementation of a controversial memo published by Garland that mobilized the FBI based on the request for assistance in the NSBA letter.

RELATED: Republicans Release Documents Allegedly Showing FBI Tracked Parents Using ‘Counterterrorism Tools’

Apology Too Little, Too Late

Following the controversy, the National School Boards Association tried their best to put the genie back in the bottle, apologizing for the letter comparing concerned parents to domestic terrorists.

“As you all know, there has been extensive media and other attention recently around our letter to President Biden regarding threats and acts of violence against school board members,” a memo to NSBA members reads.

“On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for this letter … There was no justification for some of the language included in this letter.”

Is it a case of too little, too late?

A spokesman for the NSBA tells Axios that they can still weather the storm despite a loss of state affiliates and member dues.

“NSBA continues to have the resources we need to be effective on behalf of our members, and we will relentlessly work to advance our mission and continuously improve as an organization,” the spokesperson said.