Report: 233 School Board Members Faced Recalls in 2021

The most common office for recall in 2021 was member of the school board, clocking in at 233 of the record-breaking 529 total attempts.

In a CNN report detailing the “historic high” number of recalls in 2021, editor-at-large Chris Cilliza theorized the number of recalls due to “relatively small groups of people unhappy with a local, state or federally elected officials can find one another — thanks to the power of the Internet. And, that power also allows them to organize opposition quickly and cheaply.”

Writing specifically of the school board number, Cilliza said that it was “a number you have to assume was heavily influenced by fights over best practices in schools to deal with Covid-19.” And while discussion over coronavirus protocols, which have been developmentally detrimental for students, became intense, CNN left out entirely the parent-led movement against critical race theory indoctrination and radical transgender policies being pushed into public schools.

These issues, which parents across the country have been up-in-arms about — and which the establishment news media has almost entirely neglected to report — were the driving force for many of the recall efforts.

In response to a tweet by Cilliza, Parents Defending Education Vice President for Strategy and Investigations Asra Nomani said, “This is when journalists realize the story they’ve missed over the last 18 months, while parents have been smeared as domestic terrorists, white supremacists, and dark money operatives.”

This is when journalists realize the story they’ve missed over the last 18 months, while parents have been smeared as domestic terrorists, white supremacists and dark money operatives. What they don’t realize: if you’re a parent, no humiliation matters when it comes to your kid. https://t.co/XxM9MzCt0C

— Asra Q. Nomani 🐻 (@AsraNomani) January 10, 2022

Breitbart News has reported on many recall efforts, most prominent of which was likely the one in Loudoun County, Virginia, where the initiative began as a fight against critical race theory but then snowballed when it was revealed that the school board allegedly covered up multiple instances of sexual assault, ostensibly in order to easily pass a sweeping transgender bill.

While mask mandates and school closures were certainly a big part of recall efforts, past recalls have stemmed from “disputes over mismanagement, open meeting violations or allegations of corruption.” 2021’s recalls, however, “focus[ed] on efforts to snuff out teachings on critical race theory and displeasure about mask requirements.”

But, as Cilliza writes, “Recall laws were put in place to deal with egregious acts of malpractice (or unlawful conduct) while in office. They are being used now as a way for a relatively small faction of disaffected voters to express their dissatisfaction.”

Yet, that “relatively small faction of disaffected voters” was in fact able to sway Virginia’s gubernatorial election to Republicans in all three statewide races and the state House of Delegates. This Republican win, many attest, was due mostly to the education issues stemming from critical race theory, transgender policies, and the coronavirus. While not a recall procedurally, it is seen by many as a referendum on the power over parents school boards and teachers’ unions have wielded at the expense of children.

Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.