Most respondents in a new survey from Rasmussen Reports said that parents’ protests against local school officials are “clearly protected by the First Amendment.”
Most respondents, 68%, said they agreed when asked, “Do you agree or disagree with this statement: ‘The reported heated encounters between concerned parents and school boards often involve speech that is clearly protected by the First Amendment. Federal law enforcement muscle should never be used against protesting parents’?”
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced earlier this month that the FBI will investigate threats of violence against school officials following protests over issues such as the teaching of critical race theory. In the poll from Rasmussen, 47% of respondents opposed the investigation with 44% supporting the probe.
Rasmussen notes that “Democrats are about twice as likely as other voters to support Garland’s order for a federal investigation of alleged threats against school officials. Sixty-four percent (64%) of Democrats support the FBI investigation, but Garland’s order is supported by only 31% of Republicans and 32% of voters not affiliated with either major party. Fifty-four percent (54%) of GOP voters strongly oppose the federal investigation, as do 18% of Democrats and 49% of unaffiliated voters.”
Rasmussen polled 1,000 likely voters from across the country from October 11-12, 2021, with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.