Now this is the FCB Podcast Network. This is pillow Talk with Ali Michelle on the FCB Podcast Network. Welcome back to an episode of pillow Talk with Ali Michelle. Today we're diving into one of the most talked about movements in education and parenting, Moms for Liberty. Whether you agree with them or not, they've become a powerful voice in the school board elections, curriculum debates, and larger conversations about role parents, what role parents play, and the decisions they make on their children's education. Joining me as Hillary the president here in Cuyahoga County the Cuyahoga County chapter Moms for Liberty to share what the group really stands for, how they see their mission, and to respond to some tough questions and criticisms you've probably seen in the head lines. And she has some pretty deep discoveries to go over. This is an opportunity to go beyond the sound bites here directly from the source and better understand why so many parents feel drawn to the movement. Hillary, thank you for being here. Of course, thank you Alie for having me. Yes, so we were going over here briefly about what you were talking about, but I wanted to ask a very very tough question for you before we get into this stuff. Okay, yeah, of course, Okay, if you could describe politics in a smell, using only mom vocabulary, how would you describe politics? I know it's a tough one. You know. Actually it's not because I the reason why I was laughing is because I literally just said this last night. I don't know how you knew. I don't know how you knew this, but I did. And it's especially as a mom. You walk into a room and you smell like the old underwear, right, but you don't see it, but you smell it. You know it's there. So you're driving yourself crazy because you cannot find it anywhere, but you know, you know, you can't move on to anything else until you find it. And then once you really start taking the time to dig in and look under the cushions, it was there all along. And that's how I you know, that's definitely how politics works. Is you know, if you're a person of discernment and intuition, and frankly, if you have something in between your ears, you know to question everything and you know that what you see isn't what always you know it's not always the reality right, and you you know, you you almost second guess yourself, you know, am I am I conspiracy theorist for thinking that something is off and then come to find out, Yeah, you know, as as you as you investigate more or as just sometimes as simple as time goes on, you find out that you were right. So that is you found that dirty underwear. I found dirt. Yes, cool, so dirty underwear. But I love the analogy you connected there because you just got to flip over a few cushions and you'll find, you know, you'll find the answers that are there. Okay, so we can uh, you know, with the media and everything, so some people might get wind of this and twist the words, you know, fake news, fake media. And they've even quoted Moms for Liberty in the media, Moms for Liberty. Moms for Liberty is often painted as decisive or dangerous. So for example, like the local like a local. His name is Nate Brown, honesty for Ohio education nonprofits. He said, quote, Moms for Liberty is an organization that is degrading our democracy. They played to division, anger, and ignorance. Uh. They also noted that they use multiple social media platforms to teach teachers and school officials. Uh to advocate the about the abolition of the Department of Education, advanced conspiracy propaganda and spread hate imaginary and rhetoric, imaginary and rhetoric against LGBTQ community, all these things in a man in sixty minutes said he accused of Mom's liberty dodging questions, And they behaved evasively, like how do you how do you address fake news media? And that'll go into actually what we were just kind of talking about before the show. Yeah, I mean that's a lot of words, right, and and you know, fortunately we live in a country where you can say all of those words without any context or whether or not they're true. So as far as uh, if we could kind of break down his his statement, because again, like you were reading it and I was like all over the place, like wait, what where did he get that? So what was his first his first accusation? He said, Mom quote Moms for Liberty is an organization that is degrading our democracy. They played to they played to division, anger, and ignorance. So as far as degrading our democracy, I think that what we're doing is we're actually trying to remind people that we live in a democracy, and better yet, we actually live in a constitutional republic where we have a set of you know, a set of laws in our constitution that we are to abide by. And a democracy is is a little bit different than that. So say, for instance, in a democracy, this is a very extreme situation right where we as a people decide to vote that you know, murder should be legal and the majority wins. Well, there you go. Now it's a law. So obviously we have a set of principles. Again, that was very extreme. But I move and they follow me. It's okay. She has kids in the background, by the way. Now that this is this is they're working on working on my house. Oh I can't even hear it. Oh you can't. Oh, perfect, you don't hear the banging. Okay, awesome, But uh, you know, we have a set of principles in our constitution and that is what we're supposed to you know, abide by in all aspects of government, local, state, you know, foreign, domestic. Right. So dismantling that what certain people's ideas of democracy is, well, well, sure, if it's if it's not you know, if it's not constitutional, you can call it dismantling all day long. That's fine with me. With the Department of Education in and being you know, a vehicle for for hate and discrimination, that couldn't be further from the truth. Obviously, we're going to get into the Department of Education and and why we believe it should be dismantled, But it has absolutely nothing to do with discriminating against a certain uh you know, religion, politics, you know where you came from, that has you know, even the type of schooling. You know, we're going to be talking about public, private, and higher education institutions today. So all all that really is is Moms for Liberty stands for truth. We we stand for transparency. And the biggest thing is that we believe that parents are the first and foremost providers of education in their child's life, and that is constitutional. One hundred years ago, in a Supreme Court case Peers versus the Society of Sisters, the Supreme Court ruled that children are not a mere creature of the state. Children belong to their parents. And that is in all aspects, uh, you know, medically educational. But of course where the gray area comes is somebody else's opinion of ethics. Right, So a lot of the issues that Moms for Liberty face faces right now is, you know, if a school thinks it's ethical, or if one teacher thinks it's ethical to change that student's pronounce without informing the parent, they should be able to do so. Or if you know, or if the parents think that it's ethical to you know, to transition their child medically, then they should be able to do so. So, of course, there is a line between what is right and what is wrong. And the good news is that we have that in our constitution. So that is what we that's what we're about. We're enforcing the and of course my earring fellow mom mode, yeah, mess expressure here. So we're we're forcing those ideals and the ideals of our founding fathers in the principles of our country and and following the constitution. You know, to a tee with those ideals and morals in mind, are you banning books? No? No, I would I mean write all of the books, you know, I am I like to say this, I don't ever want to yuck anybody's young, right, But of course is it appropriate, well, it should become in sense. Is it appropriate for a you know, for a kindergartener have access to a book that explains how to perform sex acts and that sounds crazy. It's true. We have had books in elementary school, public libraries that have that have those things in there. Is that appropriate? No? Do I think that that author should be you know, cancel? No? Do I think those books should be let on fire? No? But put those books in a public library, put those books in a bookstore. It doesn't need jurisdiction. Yeah. Well, and how crazy is that. There is? There's age restrictions in the publishing of these books. You know, we can't follow the simple you know what the public you know what the publishers say that why? Yeah, yeah, that's that's the question that why do they want our kids to read these I heard some crazy stuff during our city hall meeting and. I was like, what oops, not only, but not only why do you want the kids to read them? The next question is why don't you want the parents to know? That's what is actually happening as well? Is that and we'll get into that too, and what that's called because that is a violation. Why what's the problem with parents having that information? Why? Why is it an issue for parents to offer consent. So I mean that's even you know, the most extreme cases. Keep the books in the library. Fine, you know, more for you know, for the older kids. Okay, keep the books in the library. But if you're going to have that type of material, it needs to be parental consent needs to be given. Yes, the permissions, Yes, yes, yes, yes, my kids school is so great. And before we go to break, I wanted to say that they do set like if they're teaching about you know, possible you know, essay abuse at home or sexual abuse at home, like can we talk about this topic? We will. This is like what it looks like what we're going to be saying, and we sign off on it, which I'm very proud and I'm very happy that my school does this, especially like my girls are victims of very crazy you should never have happened to a child. So I do like that they do send that out. But before we go and break, I have a yes or no question. Do you think teachers and parents should be working closer together in the school? Yes? Absolutely, And and I've yet to meet me personally to meet a teacher that thinks that that's a bad idea. So the reason why we're having a lot of this discourse and disconnect is from the top down, and we'll get into that too. When you have National Teachers Association, you know, teachers unions and teachers associations put in their agenda that, you know, despite what families think, or despite what executive orders, or despite what President Trump thinks, we're going to do these things anyway that alienates half of your parents, you know. And it's it's a monster, these unions and the way that they are controlling almost every aspect of what's going on in our public schools today. It's it's it's devastating and it's real. For instance, we have this past summer, there was a summit for the National Educators Association and in that in one of their agenda items, it was they were calling Trump a fascist. Oh my gosh. So but you can think that, and you can say that, sure, okay, fine, but what what does it have to do with education? What does it have to do with the crisis and education that we have right now, as far as you know, literacy and reading comprehension, What does that have to do with anything? Right right, We'll get into that at the break. So yeah, we'll be right back welcome back from the break. Joining me is Hillary the President here in Kyahog County. The chapter, I'm sorry, the chapter of Kyahoga County Moms for Liberty. She's here talking of what they stand for, and she has some pretty breaking news for us today. And the flora is yours. Awesome, Thank you, Ali. So I was a few weeks ago I was invited to a briefing with the Department of Education, and you know, I'm still pinching myself over that. But congratulations, by life, thank you. It was. It was awesome, very small and very intimate, so we were able to ask a lot of questions and we were able to really cover a lot of information. So the the main thing, the main purpose of this briefing was to of course, uh discuss, you know what the Department of Ed, you know what the Department of Education, what they were supposed to be doing, what they are doing, their plans for dismantling, and and what's you know, what's to happen going forward. So the Department of Education, they are supposed to be the the department that over you know, oversees you know, you know, a public some you know, some private institutions. And then of course, you know, higher uh higher education institutions, and a lot of that is to one make sure that they are in compliance, you know, in compliance with our with our federal laws, especially if they're going to be receiving federal funding. Making sure that you know that the rights of teachers, students, and parents are are being honored and followed. Making sure that, uh, you know that the money is going to the right schools for the right reasons at the right times. You know, all that stuff right there's there. It's a big job. But what we've what we uncovered is day one when the Trump administration you know kind of you know, took over for lack of a better term, they were uh Lenna McMahon and a few of her colleagues who were at this briefing and who ran this briefing, they said that they walked into the Department of Education and nobody was there. Nobody was there because everybody was working from home. And we learned that unfortunately, they they weren't working, they weren't doing what they were supposed to be doing, you know, which for somebody like me who works remote, of course that's upsetting because I know that if I didn't do what I was supposed to do, I would I wouldn't get paid, I would get fired. And it was disappointing to see that the people in these seats, who you know, oversee our whole country's uh, you know, public education system, you know that they weren't doing their end of you know, they weren't fulfilling their end of the bargain. So the responsibility that was dropped is is so much bigger than I could have even imagined. And that is why the Department of Education needs to be dismantled, not because you know, not because you know, we don't want public schools to receive support. We don't care about minorities or disabilities, we don't care about you know, funding and all of that stuff that has nothing to do with it. It has everything to do with the department and how it was designed. It's not working, and those responsibilities are not going to be going away. They're actually going to be redistributed to existing departments who already have and you know, for again a lack of a better term, an auditing system and team in place to make sure that things that are happening are supposed to be happening. And you know, it's not a matter of removing funding. It's making sure that you know the money is going to who it needs to go to and that it's being spent appropriately. Right. So the you know, Moms for Liberty we are parental rights advocacy group. And the first thing that I have written down here on my list is we learned about the role of FURPA and the Department of Education. So FURPA is the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. And what was what's been happening And you know, I have a list of examples of which schools who you know, was doing what. But what was happening is that schools were enacting policies that imply that students need protection from their parents. So when parents were right, so when parents were requesting information about you know, you know, their students' grades, ask you know, accessing student records, the schools were saying no. So that is a violation of FURPA, and fora is a policy that the you know, Department of Education protects. But in addition to that, I want to remind everybody that I am fully aware, just as everybody else, that not every student has a great home life, and that there are circumstances to which where perhaps the student does need protection from you know, from their parents or their guardian at home. But what we have, yeah, yeah, it's terrible. But what we have to recognize and understand is we cannot let the circumstances for some be the rule for all. And there are provisions set in place. One of those provisions being teachers and people who work in education, they are mandatory reporters. When they see something, they are to say something and report it. Now, whether or not the reporting leads to anywhere, that is a completely different department and a different institution that needs revamped. And you know, dog for so. You were saying the foreign like what do you what do you mean like the foreign? You said foreign the beginning you said something about the foreign. I can't uh oh the bots. Yeah, yeah, yeah, So that's that is with higher education. So we were having you know, we're obviously we were seeing that, uh that schools were violating the furba and you know, we're having to address that. What the what the what the Department of Education is doing is they are basically what they called it was dear colleague letters and I'll send you the copy of these dear colleague letters. So that whoever's listening. If they want to see it for themselves, they can read it. But basically reminding schools, hey, to receive funding, you have to comply with these things. That has never been done before. So that is one of the reasons why the Department of Education those responsibilities need to be moved to different different departments where they are you know, obviously doing their job and auditing like they're supposed to. Because for the past twenty years, nobody from the Department of Education was making sure that the schools were being compliant with anything. Right now, with higher education, what was happening and this, I mean, it's a very tinfoil but it's true. There were fake bots posing as students that we have found those bots were created by foreign kind. How is this discovered? Was there like a big investigation like under the table or like, how was this? No, this was the Department of Education, the people under Linda McMahon Donald Trump doing their job for the first time in many years. That's all this is. And that's how we know that this is the problem because people who were working there were collecting a paycheck and they and they were not doing their job. So this was this is not like a huge conspiracy thing that's been happening for a long time and a big investigation with the CIA, FBI. No, this was a matter of somebody showing up to work and actually doing their job and it was sitting there right in front of them like a little like a little present on their desk. Wow, it's it was very very clear and very plain to see. So what they did find is that these bots were were created by foreign countries and they were they were applying for federal student aid and then they were getting that money. Now they were getting the refund money, mind you, but those colleges, the higher institutions, we're getting the funding. So they were receiving funding for students that they didn't have. So you're so, what you you from Mom for Liberty? Are you trying to bring awareness? Are you trying to like what like, where do you guys stand in this this? So are Yeah? So our ask was from from the Department of Education. Our ask was to share this information because the media is not or what they do put out is is very like you know, very twisted and nuanced instead of it just being as black and white as it is. So when Moms for Liberty people you know, when we're accused of you know, not want you know, wanting to dismantle the Apartment of Education. This is why when we are critical of, you know, of public schools and colleges, this is why. And it's not because we, you know, we think that they're all you know, evil, bad people. No, it's because we you know, a part of our stance is holding people accountable, holding leaders accountable, and you know, making sure that our students aren't going to be paying the price. And that's what I mean, that's inevitable. Right. So here we have universities who are knowingly and you will not convince me otherwise knowingly collecting federal aid money for students that they do not have. What wait, parents are doing that? No, no, no, no, the universities, That's what I'm saying. So when yeah, when you collect student aid money, right, you have, the money goes to the school and then whatever you know, whatever is refunded for you know, it could be for for for housing and things like that can go uh you know, would go to the student. Well, okay, so we have the university collecting the money and keeping it and not saying anything because why wouldn't They're getting the money and then we have foreign countries who are able to take a loan from our federal government. Wow, it's been going on for a long time. One of the many reasons why the Department of Education needs to be dismantled. Another reason the you know, again, I have pages and pages of this and if we were to you know, if we had all the time in the world, this would go on for two hours. Right of all of the things that's going on right now and the reasons why this needs to be dismantled. The the other biggest thing is is the grants. So we have about the Department of Education has about twelve twelve thousand grantees right from all sorts of organizations, companies that give money to schools for you know, certain demographics, certain things. So for example, there was a school in Chicago, and this is all true. Like again, it's it's a quick google, but you know, you might have to scroll down a little bit because it's important. But there is a school in Chicago that was receiving a grant that you know, if you had a certain level or a certain amount of Native American students, you would receive you know, this amount. You know, millions of dollars. Well, what the school in Chicago was doing is that they were counting their Middle Eastern and students of Indian descent, like from India, as Native Americans. So they were getting this funding from these grants. So we have again a couple of different issues with that. We have a school that's fibbing to receive grant money. We have a school that continued to do so like that happened for a while. We have a Department of Education that is not reading the grants because if they would have read the grant, they would have known to you know, does Chicago have Is Chicago a predominantly Native American community? I don't need to answer that for you. And then also are we why did this go on for so long? You know, one time, I'll give you the race oops accident, but it continued and continued. So we have the people of the Department of Education. They're not reviewing these grants. They're not doing their job right. And obviously once the Trump administration came in, we discovered all of this, but with these grants, a lot of you know, the biggest question that I get asked is how did this stuff get into our schools. Well, we have. You know, there's a couple of different reasons. One of those things being the teachers' unions, the school board associations. They are now lobbyists. They're no longer typical unions. They are absolutely lobbyists for ideology, and they're no longer trying to hide it. Randy Wideguard, Oh yeah. Yeah, out here, it's insane. The people that are running are doing really illegal things with their campaign. Yeah. She literally just wrote a book why Fascists are Afraid of Teachers. And then again in the NEAs Summit this past summer, they have pages and pages of pages where they're going to enforce and push their ideology into school. Not once did they recognize or have a plan to to fix the you know, to fix the literacy crisis that we're having, uh in our as a country. So we have that. But also these grants, these grants included some of them kind of like a quid pro quo if you put this material into your curriculum, if you incorporate these things into your curriculum, you will receive the funding. That's what was happening. So that's another that's another way why these schools were getting you know why they were you know why certain things were being pushed in the school. One of many reasons, but it's one of them. So again that's how did that happen? Well, it happened because the people who worked at the Apartment of Education, they weren't reading these grants. So of course what do we do, as you know the Trump administration, they go in, they discover all of this. Okay, so where is the policy to review the grants and cancel them so it doesn't just keep happening. There wasn't one mm hm. So we held a little bit more like we have a few more minutes left, and I wanted to just ask you one more thing and then I want you to let the listeners know where to follow you. But if you could set the records straight for Moms for Liberty in your own words, to make people who truly misunderstand what you are doing, because you're very passionate. Hear it in your voice, You're very You're very passionate about what goes into the Department of Education and and what your what your cause is for. If you could just set the record straight in like a few words, and then let everybody know where to follow you. Yeah. I mean we stand for truth. That that's all there is to it. You know, some we've been accused of being, uh, you know, MAGA trumpers, you know, Christian nationalists, anti LGBTQ. The fact of the matter is, you know, do we have a lot of MAGA supporters. Sure? Do we have some Democrats, Yes, we do. As far as the LGBTQ community, are we again inappropriate material in school, yes, yes, agent inappropriate? Are we against talking about right Are we against talking about ideology which includes gender identity and inappropriate sexual content? Yes? Do we? Are we against keeping that from parents? Yes? That has nothing to do with us not liking the gay community. As a matter of fact, we actually have quite a few people from the LGBTQ community in our organization, one being a chapter chair like I am, she's gay, nobody cares. We also partner with the organization called Gays Against Groomers. They're going to be at our summit this October. It has nothing to do with the LGBTQ community, and everything to do with parental consent, parental parental rights and making sure that our children are going to school so that they can learn how to think, not what to think, and then as far as I'm trying, I'm trying to remember, okay, answer just. To just how to get a hold of you? Follow you? Yes, so, so how to get a hold of me? I am on Facebook on you know, Hillary Jackson. We have a public uh Facebook page for my county Moms for Liberty Cuyahoga County. Facebook is where I'm most active, just because I don't quite understand how X and Instagram work because I'm like the worst millennial ever, But I'm getting there. I'm getting there, and I'm very active on there all day long. So I should probably get a different hobby because. I mean, if this is what you love, you gotta do what you love, right. But you know, the biggest thing is is that Moms for Liberty would not exist if these issues did not exist and parents did not need her help. So for all of you out there who thinks that, you know, Moms for Liberty is terrible, awful and we should go away, Okay, Well, look at what we're fighting, and maybe those things should go away because a lot of us would much rather be, you know, sitting on our rocking chair, you know, knitting and knitting. You are a bit millennial, Yeah, I would. Much rather be, you know, sipping margaritas than having to you know what I mean. Then I'm a drunken stripper now according to the world. Yeah, so I feel you. I want to be on a beach somewhere. I want to have to go toe to toe with my neighbors all day long because they read something online that said that I was a Nazi, so it must be true. The dangerous for me, the vocabulary that they spew is it's very dangerous. I mean, we were just seen in a few weeks ago, so of what you know, people being called these names. But thank you so much, Hillary. I definitely want to get more in depth with another thing, so maybe we can plan another episode because I really wanted to hear more about what you found. But time is you know, time is that? Yes? So thank you girls, of course, Ali, thank you, thanks again Hilly Glory for coming on Pillow Talk with Ali. Michelle. Your devotion and your passion really shows through. Send this to your friends, your lovers, your haters, and everyone in between. And don't forget to follow me on my socials. TikTok at Ali underscore Michelle, that's with two eyes a l I. 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