Poor example for kids
Behavior at public meetings should be defined by mutual respect between citizens and officials
Not long ago, a school board would be lucky to get a clutch of citizens to attend a meeting. Now those meetings are a hotbed of argument — over public safely mandates, curriculum choices and even the members themselves. In Virginia Beach, in Chesapeake, in other Virginia communities and those across the nation, citizens are making their voices heard — and some are stepping over the line, veering into intimidation and even personal threats. That cannot be ignored.
That’s the thrust of the message issued by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland this month, when he announced the Department of Justice would roll out a series of measures to address “harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.”
While the First Amendment protects free speech, lawful assembly and the right to petition the government, it is not a license to do as one pleases — no matter how serious the issue being discussed.
It’s past time for adults to start acting like adults, and that goes for public officials as well as private citizens.
In recent months, as school boards discussed mask mandates and arguments over “critical race theory” gained traction, ordinarily lethargic meetings have been roiling cauldrons of debate. On its face, that is good and necessary in a democracy.
Communities need citizens involved in governance. Important decisions are strengthened through constructive public discourse. School boards in Virginia cannot set tax rates and depend on other bodies for funding, but they do shape the policies that affect the lives of children every day.
Parents should be involved in those conversations. They should stand up and offer comment. They should contact their board members and make their case about a given policy or decision.
Even when debate may get heated and the rhetoric ramps up, it’s critical to have citizens at the table. A public meeting should be exactly that.
But it’s also true that school board members are devoting their time and energy to public service. Their compensation is no way equal to the amount of work they shoulder in their efforts to build better public schools for all children.
They should not face threats for this service — no public official should. They shouldn’t be made to live in fear of going to the grocery store or made to cower in their homes. The public has a redress should they disagree with any elected official: the ballot box.
It is deeply distressing to know that men and women who have volunteered for public life would be confronted with such ugliness and contempt. Disagree, sure. Be strong in your words. But we cannot abide by threats, intimidation and violence in the public square.
While the Justice Department must guard against its actions having a chilling effect on legitimate dissent, serious threats against school officials must be appropriately and lawfully handled. No group or individual can be allowed to force policy changes through violence or its threat.
For school board members, however, there is also a line that cannot be crossed. To serve in public office is to open yourself to scrutiny, to anger, to name-calling and other expressions of free speech. Officials cannot use the heated climate as an excuse to suppress debate.
Frankly, it is infuriating that such things must be said, or that it might require federal intervention to make everyone behave responsibly in a public setting. Communities should be capable of debating difficult and controversial subjects without it devolving into madness.
After all, these are meetings that should be focused on schools and learning and the welfare of children. Those who serve and those who engage in debate should lead by example, showing dignity toward one another, listening seriously to different points of view, and disagreeing respectfully.
If we cannot clear even that very low bar — if we cannot keep our heads even in the heat of the moment — our communities are in very poor shape indeed.