Dupage Policy Journal

State Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn) is facing accusations of misrepresenting a death threat she received as tensions rise over her proposed homeschool legislation, House Bill 2827, which proposes stricter regulations and oversight of homeschooling in Illinois. 

Danielle Taylor, a prominent homeschool parent and advocate, expressed frustration over Costa Howard’s rhetoric regarding the threat she received in the mail from a New Jersey address. 

“Terra Costa Howard said she got a death threat,” Taylor told the DuPage Policy Journal. “That death threat was from New Jersey. So that wasn't true. She didn’t get it from a homeschooler from Illinois. She's an Illinois legislator. She didn’t get a death threat just, you know, from people who might not like you in Illinois. It’s clear they didn’t like her there, and they don’t like her here.”

The bill has drawn over 42,000 opposition witness slips, with many homeschool advocates accusing the lawmaker of governmental overreach.

Taylor's comments reflect growing skepticism regarding Costa Howard’s handling of the incident, especially as it pertains to the ongoing debate surrounding HB2827, which opponents say would unfairly target homeschooling families with additional scrutiny and regulations.

Lisa Edison, another outspoken critic of the bill, also took issue with Costa Howard's public statements about the threats. 

“The police report that was filed by Representative Costa Howard for threats she is publicly stating she’s received by Illinois homeschool families shows the threat came from out of state, not from anyone in Illinois, as she’s stating,” Edison told the DuPage Policy Journal. “She’s trying to make Illinois homeschool families look bad and dangerous. This is malicious and slanderous.”

Edison also recounted a recent incident in which Costa Howard reportedly told constituents about receiving threats. 

“On 3/25, she also said in a phone call with constituents that she’s being threatened,” Edison said. “Someone who was on that call said she stated receiving threats multiple times. The implication was clear that one of us (constituents) was doing it.”

Edison’s comments suggest that Costa Howard’s statements could be part of a broader attempt to paint homeschooling families in a negative light. 

"It is obvious that she is lying in an attempt to paint homeschooling families as aggressive," Edison said.

A detailed report from the Lombard Police Department, obtained by the DuPage Policy Journal, offers a closer look into the origins and content of the threat. The offense code for the police report is “3972: Threatening Public Officials Or Human Service Providers.” 

The Lombard Police Department received a call from a 23-year-old staff member working at Costa Howard’s district office located at 913 S. Main Street in Lombard around 1 p.m. on April 2. According to the responding detective, the agency was assigned to investigate a mailed “perceived threat.”

 “COMPLAINANT advised that she opened the envelope and read the letter which contained perceived threats,” the detective noted. 

The staffer then gave the materials to responding officers. 

The envelope, which was labeled as being sent by “The Rancher East Coast,” was postmarked “DV Daniels NJ 070” and dated March 25, 2025. According to the report, an open-source search revealed that the postmark referred to the Dominick V. Daniels USPS Processing and Distribution Center in Kearny, New Jersey.

Inside the envelope was a typed letter addressed directly to Costa Howard. The letter read:

The responding detective described the tone of the message as serious and potentially threatening. 

“I processed the letter and envelope into evidence as Item #1,” the detective wrote. “I sealed the envelope and placed my initials and badge number, the date, and Item number on the seals... I placed Item #1 into a secure temporary locker #18.”

In response to the letter, the Lombard Police Department took additional precautions. 

“I disseminated an APB Bulletin Critical Reach to surrounding agencies and departments in an effort to identify similar incidents and possible suspect information,” the detective stated. “I also disseminated a Critical Reach to the Kearny (New Jersey) Police Department and surrounding Hudson County (New Jersey) Departments.”

No arrests have been made in connection with the threat, and the investigation is ongoing.