a new report adds several parents rights groups in New Jersey to a list of anti-government organizations the list put out by the Southern Poverty Law Center added groups like moms for Liberty and the New Jersey project Tina Kelly is a senior education reporter for NJ Advanced media who spoke to members of those groups and shared her conversations with Banna vosi that conversation is part of our ongoing series exploring hate that examines anti-Semitism racism and extremism Tina good to have you on the show before we get into what you heard from some of the members of the groups who were included on this list what's this list about and who all does it entail give us a little background sure this is a list of anti-government organizations um that was put out by uh Southern Poverty Law Center as part of their hate map the hate map also includes some more traditionally um controversial groups that include um KKK and militias and that sort of thing but uh the groups that are parents rights related and education related on this year's list are designated as anti-government and so there are eight groups from New Jersey who made it on there uh who are they and why is it that they're on a list with um as you just mentioned these these other hate groups who were on that map well there's six County chapters of moms for Liberty as well as the New Jersey project and New Jersey parents involved in education so a lot of this Tina yeah had to do with some of the curriculum that was being passed recently sexed curriculum um of course the culture wars over specific books that were on bookshelves but what's the criteria that the Southern Poverty Law Center uses to determine if a group meets the threshold we heard from the newe public education Coalition that they had submitted screenshots and social media information to the Southern Poverty Law Center um to prove that these organizations were doing Troublesome um activities and the Southern Poverty Law Center has a description of what counts as anti-government groups and those are ones that um work against um the Department of Education in particular that don't want government involvement in the in public education at all and are um one of the big issues they were concerned with is when students request transgender accommodations at school the question arises should parents be notified or not and that's been playing out in the courts as you know so aside from being designated as a hater anti-government group does it change anything does it do anything in terms of these groups their ability to communicate to organize Etc ET no and I think I'm hearing from reader comments that a lot of folks are just not really respecting the Southern Poverty Law Center and calling it a lot of derogatory names the membership that I've heard from just over the trans on email has been not particularly concerned about this designation Tina Kelly is the senior education reporter for NJ Advanced media Tina thanks so much thank you support for exploring hate is providing by Charlotte and David aard and Sue and Edgar weinheim theii