Former South Carolina Moms for Liberty Leadership Address Departure Citing Ethical Concerns and National Disconnect
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A significant coalition of former chapter chairs and leadership members from Moms for Liberty (M4L) across South Carolina have formally announced their reasons for departure from the national organization. The group, representing various counties throughout the state, expressed deep disappointment in the current direction taken by the national organization regarding its operations in South Carolina.
The departing leaders emphasized that while they are separating from the national structure, they remain steadfastly committed to the core mission that originally drew them to the movement: protecting children, preserving parental rights, and improving the quality of education.
“We are disappointed in the direction the national organization has taken in South Carolina,” the leadership team stated in a joint communication. The group identified several critical issues that led to this decision, including:
- Conflicts of Interest: Concerns regarding the intersection of organizational goals and private interest.
- Lack of Accountability: A perceived failure to enforce the organization’s own Code of Conduct, which these leaders helped establish to ensure ethical behavior and integrity.
The leadership team noted that they observed no consequences for behaviors that directly contravened the established standards of conduct intended to guide the organization’s decision-making and public presence. This departure follows a history of rigorous standards maintained by the South Carolina Legislative Committee, which required members to pledge themselves to the highest standards of ethical conduct, objectivity, and professional courtesy.
The group intends to continue their advocacy for South Carolina families through a focus on transparency and integrity, moving forward independently of the national Moms for Liberty organization.
Official statement:
When COVID changed the world, parents across our state got a front row seat to their children’s classrooms. Realizing no one would fight harder for our kids than us, we searched for allies to stand against entrenched education bureaucracies. Many of us joined Moms for Liberty. We believed in the mission, the protection of children, a true grassroots movement led by local parents not politicians, consultants, or wealthy donors. We are all still committed to the mission Moms for Liberty once stood for: protecting children, preserving parental rights, and improving education.
Unfortunately, we are deeply disappointed in the direction the national organization has taken in South Carolina.
Over time, local decision making was replaced by top down control.
Public relations and consultant influence began taking priority over the ground level work of local volunteers. Conflicts of interest mounted, a pay to play endorsement model took over, and there were no accountability or consequences for behavior that directly violated the very Code of Conduct we helped write.
For many of us, the breaking point was the RJ May scandal. Following the arrest and federal guilty plea of former Representative RJ May on charges of distributing child sexual abuse material, we expected absolute moral clarity. Instead, South Carolina leaders were instructed to remain silent. Protecting the organization’s image took precedence over speaking out against child exploitation.
The current state leadership’s disregard for basic standards directly caused chapters to shut down across our state. Rebranding today does not fix the failures that forced so many leaders out yesterday. A handful of disconnected voices in the three remaining chapters does not speak for South Carolina families.
We walked away because we could no longer ask parents to trust an organization that lost its way.
We didn’t stop fighting for our kids or parental rights, we simply chose principle over a brand name.
Parents deserve honesty over silence, integrity over optics, and advocates who answer directly to them, not outside consultants.
Parental rights belong to families, not political machines or national brands. Our dedication hasn’t changed. The real movement has always been the moms and dads who show up, speak up, and put our children first.
That is the movement we joined, and it is what South Carolina still deserves.
-Former Leaders of Moms For Liberty SC
Berkeley County former Chapter Leader
Calhoun County former National Interview Team Member
Dorchester County former Chapter Leader
Florence County former Chapter Leader Team
Georgetown County former Chapter Leader
Greenville County former Chapter Leader
Horry County former Chapter Leader Team
Kershaw County former Chapter Leader
Lexington County Former Chapter Leader
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Independent publication by former Moms for Liberty chapter leaders. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Moms for Liberty, Inc. “Moms for Liberty” is used solely to identify the organization discussed in this publication.
