House Republicans Defend Parental Rights Groups Against ‘Extremist’ Label

People and members of the Moms For Liberty association attend a campaign event for Jacqueline Rosario, a school board member in Vero Beach, Fla., on Oct. 16, 2022. Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

House Republicans have submitted a resolution (pdf) in defense of parental rights organizations such as Moms for Liberty following their classification as “extremist” by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on a “hate map” alongside Ku Klux Klan chapters.

The resolution, filed by Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) on June 15, asserts that it isn’t extreme or hateful to believe that parents, rather than the government, should have the final say in their children’s education.

The SPLC added Moms for Liberty, Parents Defending Education, Army of Parents, No Left Turn in Education, and other groups to its map of supposed “hate” organizations.

“It is abhorrent that a group like the Southern Poverty Law Center can include a benevolent, freedom-loving organization like Moms for Liberty on their so-called ‘hate map’ simply because they defend parents’ rights in their child’s education,” McClain said in a statement.

“I am disgusted and outraged that the radical Left is getting away with actions like these, and I believe it is time for Congress to stand up and reaffirm the dignity of education and expel the woke nonsense that has taken over America’s classrooms.”

The Resolution’s Purpose

The resolution aims to push back against the labeling of parental efforts to ensure age-appropriate school curriculum and protect sex-specific sports teams as being “extreme.” It emphasizes that all students should feel welcome in the classroom but asserts that radical far-left ideas inappropriate for minors shouldn’t be included.

The resolution also argues that it isn’t extreme or hateful to believe that discussions about sexual orientation or gender ideology shouldn’t be introduced to children as young as 6, that biological men shouldn’t compete against biological women in sports, and that courses centered around the belief that America is systemically racist shouldn’t be taught.

The resolution has support from six Republican co-sponsors, including Reps. Brian Babin and Keith Self of Texas, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Daniel Webster of Florida, Mary Miller of Illinois, and Clay Higgins of Louisiana.

The SPLC’s report, released on June 6, accuses “parents’ rights” groups of launching attacks on schools under the guise of defending their rights. The SPLC condemns these groups as part of an “anti-student inclusion movement” that opposes inclusive curricula discussing race, discrimination, and LGBT identities.

It specifically highlights Moms for Liberty, which it claims can be seen at school board meetings across the country advocating for parental authority in education while wearing shirts and carrying signs that read, “We do NOT CO-PARENT with the GOVERNMENT.”

Critics argue that the SPLC report fails to acknowledge the promotion of sexualized material for children in schools and other venues, such as “Drag Queen Story Hour” events and the presence of books with pornographic content in school libraries, as well as the debate about children identifying with genders different from their biological sex.

The SPLC has a history of labeling mainstream conservative and Christian organizations as “hate groups” and placing them on its “hate map.”

Other Conservatives’ Objections

Other Republicans responded to the list, calling out the SPLC.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) described the move as “ludicrous” and “absurd.”

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said that Moms for Liberty “should be proud of the work they do for families and kids.” He referred to the SPLC as a “corrupt slush fund devoted to defamation.”

Moms for Liberty is a prominent organization at the vanguard of the parental rights movement that focuses on education-related concerns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents expressed concern regarding the imposition of protocols on children and the inclusion of left-wing ideology in their education.

These concerns have been voiced through participation in meetings of the school board.

The SPLC—which is currently facing a defamation lawsuit related to its hate map and is accused of misrepresenting conservative and Christian organizations as “hard-right” or “extremist”—asserts that it monitors and publicizes the actions and negative effects associated with specific groups listed on its hate map.

In a June 15 post on Twitter, Moms for Liberty thanked McClain for filing the resolution and defending parental rights groups.

“If the resolution passes the House, it will not become law, but will state the opinion of the chamber,” Moms for Liberty wrote. “If Democrats vote against the resolution, they may reveal an animus against the idea that parents should have a say over their own children’s education.”

The SPLC didn’t respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment before press time.