Moms for Liberty listed in 'hate and extremism' report

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida-founded group Moms for Liberty was listed in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Year in Hate & Extremism 2022” report.

The SPLC said it documented 1,225 “hate and antigovernment extremist groups” across the United States. In Florida, the SPLC said it tracked 89 hate groups.

According to SPLC, Moms for Liberty was founded in 2021 by by former Florida school board members, Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich. Current Sarasota County school board member Bridget Ziegler was also a co-founder, however, she has left the group.

“No one from our organization is anti-anything,” Jennifer Pippin, the chairwoman of the Indian River County chapter of Moms for Liberty told WPTV. “We’re pro parental rights, we’re pro children, we’re pro making things better for students and families.

Pippin told the news station that her chapter has 4,200-plus members including parents, grandparents, former educators and community members.

SPLC called Moms for Liberty an “anti-government and anti-student inclusion group.”

Pippin said she disagrees with that.

“Maybe Southern Poverty Law group doesn’t understand what we do or how we’re doing it,” Pippin said. “But to put us in with groups like the KKK and things like that, our parents, grandparents and community members are not a hate group. We’re not anti-government like this group is saying.”

The SPLC told WPTV that this is the first time there is a listing of anti-student inclusion groups.

“They really push out that theory through what we’ve seen book bans, changes to the curriculums and LGBTQ+ acceptance in schools and in the community,” Maya Henson-Carey, a research analyst with the intelligence project for the SPLC told the news station.

Source: WFLA