Yet it seems the rumor has reached Oregon, with recent gossip asserting Salem-Keizer Public Schools officials approved a student's request to self-identify as a cat and allowed litter boxes in the restrooms of Sprague High School. McHugh deemed the current treatment of transgender children reckless and irresponsible. He also argued against allowing children to transition and equated the process to frontal lobotomies. He also stated that there would be negative long-term consequences of allowing children hormonal treatment and transitioning. A teenage girl from Melbourne, Australia, identifies as a cat, according to multiple news stories. 5:55 Rumours about litter boxes in schools for students identifying as cats are false, Norbert Carpenter tells CBC News: Compass host Steve Bruce Litter boxes will not be put in schools on. "Sprague High School, or any Salem-Keizer school,do nothave litter boxes for use as restroom facilities," Emily Hicks, a spokeswoman for the district, said. Change). 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WLWT-TV. Rand Paul was vindicated this week regarding COVID. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. This is what we're doing now in 2022. Furries are part of an established subculture that has existed for decades. students identifying as cats In Colorado, GOP gubernatorial nominee Heidi Ganahl insisted in several recent interviews that students were dressing and identifying as cats, disrupting class, and the states schools were tolerating it. In one of the images, she appears to be crawling on her hands and knees. The only problem is it isnt true. I heard that at least one of our schools in our town has a, in one of the unisex bathrooms, a litter box for the kids that identify as cats. There is a real subculture of people known as furries, a community of children and adults who roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow said: There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication, Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow wrote in a community message Thursday. Across the country, from New York to Iowa and Texas, the same rumor swept through districts this spring. But this story is real. Lets get that debate started! Identifying as human isn't good enough anymore, so now some must cross species to identify as a cat to gain attention. Since then, however, it has spread to numerous US states and now to Scotland. "Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation! A photograph from one of those presentations went viral on social media: While we're not sure exactly when or where this photograph was taken, we did find a video of Pesta using this same slide at a presentation in Hartland, Wisconsin on March 31, 2022, called "American Public Schools: From Failure to Fascism." An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a small town in their state identified as cats. The "furry protocol" rumor is the newest wrinkle in a series of false claims concerning absurd behavior in schools. The school districts saythese claims are untrue. 2022. As the number of people identifying as trans and nonbinary has increased in recent years, particularly among young people, so has the amount of anti-LGBTQ legislation from conservative politicians. Accessed 5 Apr. Michigan had installed litter boxes in order to appease students who had started identifying as cats, there's no evidence that any schools in Michigan installed litterboxes for their students. Urban decay: There's a reason criminals love Los Angeles's district attorney, Student borrowers advocate Biden debt relief program amid Supreme Court battle, Trump and DeSantis attend dueling Republican conferences as GOP primary field heats up, China will target the US homeland in war over Taiwan, Army leader predicts, Users recoil at new iPhone feature that slows charging when clean energy isn't used. But according to Superintendent Mark Martin, a petition isnt needed. Ben Goggin is the deputy editor for technology at NBC News Digital. A girl identifies as a cat, and both her parents and her private school are totes okay with it. READ MORE:Isla Bryson: Why are trans criminals put in Scottish women's prisons? "The grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County School Board meeting on Sept. 14 to request further action. On Jan. 20, Meshawn Maddock, the co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, advanced the rumor, posting on Facebook that Kids who identify as furries get a litter box in the school bathroom, with a link to a parent activist group. Among the policies is one stating students, staff and visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. "This is a rumor that has been circulating nationally, and more recently in our community, and is simply just that, a rumor, and is not in any way accurate. Her campaign declined to answer questions about Ganahls claims, but in one interview with a local Fox affiliate, she suggested theres a lot of this going on in Jefferson County. Why did people believe them? For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. I have two grandkids in school and my grandkids didnt want to go to school anymore," she said.She said the issue gained attention on social media once people started sharing photos and videos of the feline costumes and behavior, "I started getting videos and messages from kids, and I said, 'Ok, Im going to post this so parents know whats going on. Roberts said that in her research career, shes never heard of or seen an instance of a furry wanting a litter box. Clearly, identifying as a cat is absurd and indicative of a serious personal problem. Just wondering, if you identify yourself as a cat, If you are sick do you see a doctor or a veterenarian? Three school-age furries told NBC News they have at times dressed up at school, typically wearing just part of their full costume such as a mask or gloves that look like paws, but theyd never heard of any furry ever asking for a litter box. I understand WHY my daughter home schooled our grandchildren.". Meade County Schools will not discuss individual student discipline due to privacy laws. "Sadly, the spread of hateful disinformation targeting queer and trans folks is nothing new, and these tactics make our schools and communities less safe," they said. The photos are from 2016 and show a Norweigan adult who is capable of speaking, not a non-verbal, school-aged child. Roughly three in four are under the age of 25, the group writes. Anti-monarchy activists 'turn Buckingham Palace into polling station'. Please! The Waunakee school district has not seen a wave of students identifying as cats, and they did not enforce any "furry protocols" in order to deal with these alleged students. This was the case fora Jan. 21 Facebook post that wasviewed over 8,600 timesand a tweet shared over 5,000 times. Randy Guttenberg, thesuperintendent of the Waunakee school district, told the Wisconsin news outlet Isthmus.com: I am aware of the misinformation that is circulating on social media. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. That same month, school board candidates in Arkansas and Tennessee made similar remarks, and Jennifer Benson, a school board member in Fargo, North Dakota, told a local news outlet children were wearing leashes to school and using litter boxes. Thank you for supporting our journalism. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Maddock did not respond to requests for comment. Sorry, no feline accomadations in the school. The inmates cannot continue to run the asylum. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. The false claim that children who identify as cats are using litter boxes in school bathrooms has spread across the internet since at least December, when a member of the public brought it up. IE 11 is not supported. The grandmother said a petition to end the practice was created by students and has more than 1,000 signatures. To a person not steeped in the culture war battles over gender identity that have engulfed school districts nationwide, its the kind of claim that would sound bizarre and confusing and, from high-profile GOP members, authoritative. However, by constantly celebrating their decisions as brave, holding parades, allowing them to compete in sporting events with biological women, naming them women of the year, or even acknowledging gender identity as something more than junk science, society merely reinforces disturbing behaviors. In January 2022, for example, unfounded rumors were circulated on social media claiming that a school in Michigan had installed litter boxes in order to appease students who had started identifying as cats. oh, dont forget to stock up on cat food as human food isnt really good for them. The week before, on Sept. 29, Minnesota GOP gubernatorial nominee Scott Jensen asked during a campaign stop, Why do we have litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a furry?. Then, there was the news of Target permitting transgender people to use fitting rooms and restrooms aligned with their gender identity, not their biological sex. The source of the claim was a parent at a Midland County School Board meeting who said she had "heard" that this had occurred in one local school, but she did not provide evidence. Midland Superintendent Michael Sharrowrejected the claim outright in an email sent Jan. 20 to parents, staff and community members. Sorry, not a known recognizable language. However, as USA TODAY reported, the district's superintendent shut downthe rumor soon after Maddock shared the video on Jan. 20. Roberts also noted that the vast majority of furries characters are wild or mythical animals, who wouldnt use a litter box in the first place. One student was apparently disciplined for pulling on the tail of one of the cat identifying students who was seen hissing at students in the cafeteria. The superintendent at the school in Kentucky told WLWT the students violated the dress code, and that the administration had addressed the situation. Since insurance wont cover vet visits, and I doubt most vets want to participate in the Im a cat delusion, Im thinking their options are limited to doctors. The rumour alleged that pupils at Banff Academy were identifying as cats. Cant even google interprete for you. A couple of students identify as cats and demanded a litter box. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they dont like something youre doing. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. False rumors about litter boxes in classrooms have gained momentum in recent months. U/D Providence: **Shots Fired** 41 & 43 Ridgeway Ave. shots fired into two homes. Local advocates want to shut down that line of thinking. Some children, she alleged, would only communicate in barks and hisses. In the Dec. 21, 2021, YouTube video, which has over80,000 views, Lisa Hansen says during the Midland Public Schools board meeting she had been told there wasa litter box in the bathroom of at least one local school for students who self-identify as cat "furries. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can Last January, the superintendent of Midland Public Schools in Michigan was forced to address community members on Facebook after the rumour took hold locally. (LogOut/ In April 2022, a false rumor about a school district in Wisconsin implementing a set of "furry protocols" in order to deal with a rash of students who were "identifying as cats" was presented as genuine news on a conservative podcast. The district's superintendent said in a public statement that "there have never been litter boxes within (Midland Public) schools.". The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter. At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats. I start looking on the ground, through the fourth roweverythings good. The Meade County School district is dealing with an unusual situation: a group of high school students is attending school acting like and dressing as cats. Hansens claims were picked up and reshared by a state GOP chairwoman, Meshawn Maddock, who warned Parent heroes will TAKE BACK our schools in a Facebook post. I dont want to lose readers by wading into a political landmine field, but most importantly I dont want anyone to feel unwelcome on this site. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. Oh, you are a human? Call in 401-766-1380.John DePetro The Independent Man. It is long past time to start rejecting this nonsense. But thats beyond the scope of this blog, which is to celebrate cats, have a laugh and occasionally put the spotlight on animal welfare. On the October 11 episode of his Joe Rogan Experience Spotify podcast, Rogan claimed that a school "had to install a litter box in the girls room because there is a girl who's a furry, who . It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. "This is still a problem. "This is still a problem. "She is non verbal and she crawls around making cat like noises and the school is perfectly fine with this behavior? Because weve gone insane as a society, of course, and basic reality now means different things to different people depending on their political ideologies. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Meshawn Maddock,theco-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated commenton Facebook. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they dont like something youre doing.". The claim: Photos show non-verbal student whose cat identity is accommodated at public school Some social media users are sharing a photo they claim shows a student who identifies as a cat.. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's TikTok False: The claim is. Nonbinary is when someone does not identify as either male or female. The conversation will go back to what it should be about people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Editors' Code of Practice. Snowstorm Could Hit Metro Detroit Friday: Possible Snow Totals, Detroit Bakery Reopens In Midtown With 25 Cent Cookies, DTE Energy Will Give Automatic Credit To Those Affect By Power Outage, Here's How Many Guns Were Sold In Michigan Last Month, 2 Women Sexually Assaulted While Walking In Ann Arbor, Police Say, Popular Oakland County Restaurant, Music Venue Abruptly Closes. At least 20 conservative candidates and elected officials have claimed this year that K-12 schools are placing litter boxes on campus or making other accommodations for students who identify as cats, according to an NBC News review of public statements. theco-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, Oregon trans student's advice to LGBTQ youth, Salem-Keizer: Claims of litter boxes in school restrooms are false. As for this particular subject, I have thoroughly looked into the viral stories about schools accommodating students who identify as cats, and theyve all turned out to be rumors or hoaxes. This material may not be reproduced without permission. Im sure you can appreciate the difference between internet bullshittery and a legitimate, verified instance of a school district making allowances for furries or putting litter boxes in school bathrooms. Ben Collins covers disinformation, extremism and the internet for NBC News. Meet Nano, the woman who thinks she is a cat. Will Democrats and Big Tech ever apologize? During a speech at a rally in Pennsylvania in September last year Greene repeated false assertions that schools in the state were lowering tables and putting out litter boxes for who students who identified as furries or cats. In the days before McKenna appeared on Peta's podcast, Pesta gave a few presentations that mentioned this alleged email. So thats why weve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. The school districts say these claims are untrue. Sir David Cattenboroughs Newest Documentary Reveals The Elusive Silver-FurredBuddy, Check Out This Beautiful Gallery Of Larry The Cat, PLUS: A New Game Features A FuriousFeline, Cat With Gang Tattoos Rescued From Mexican Prison, Up ForAdoption, Buddy Scores 47 In Knicks Route OfCeltics. The wave of misinformation reflects discontent among many conservatives around how the concepts and politics of gender identity are rapidly shifting. Any cats involved? The story about the fired substitute also had its roots in an online video, with a woman who says shes a teacher relating the story via TikTok. Tim Kraayenbrink, a Republican Iowa state senator, said at a forum in May that local schools had been required to put cat litter boxes in the bathroom for furries to use, as he discussed schools that allow transgender students to use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. We parents arent sure what our schools are up to, she wrote in an email, according to the Times. First, the obvious, or perhaps not-so-obvious considering the media attention and outrage surrounding both stories: Neither one is true. And now schools are wanting to put litter boxes in the schools for these children to use. Isla Bryson: Why are trans criminals put in Scottish women's prisons? The photos show aNorweigan woman who was the subject of multiple media reports in 2016 when she claimed to be a cat trapped in a human's body. Of local interest, Hansen insisted, are policies that she claims accommodate students who identify as furries, or cats and dogs. But the claim has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators. A teenage girl from Melbourne, Australia, identifies as a cat, according to multiple news stories. AM 1380 / 99.9 FM WNRI. Interestingly, Pesta follows the slide about "furry protocols" with another false rumor about a teacher being fired for protesting against the installation of litterboxes at schools in Michigan for students who identified as cats. North Kingstown is in the news again as a school is reportedly allowing two students to identify as cats this school year complete with providing a litter box. At least 20 conservative candidates and elected officials have claimed this year that K-12 schools are placing litter boxes on campus or making other accommodations for students who identify as cats, according to an NBC News review of public statements. / students identifying as cats. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. "Apparently, from what I understand, theyre called 'furries,'" the grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, told WLKY. The behaviour is often linked to a "furries" subculture being adopted by many teens, where many furries feel a deep connection to a particular animal that they take on their "fursona", according to Gerbasi et al. "This is a young lady who is exceptional (sic) bright, her family petitioned the school board for right to 'identify as a cat," reads part of a Sept. 23 Facebook post featuring the images. 5 min read. Nebraska Lawmaker Apologizes for Debunked Litter Box Claim. NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/nebraska-lawmaker-apologizes-debunked-litter-box-claim-rcna21951. After we confirmed North Kingstown is allowing students to identify as cats, we have now learned another school district is allowing a student to identify as a dog.The school is trying to deal with a student who dresses as a dog, lays on the floor, eats food out of a bowl on the floor and barks and growls at other students. Dr. Paul McHugh, former psychiatrist-in-chief and director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Johns Hopkins University Hospital (and current distinguished professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences), echoed this sentiment when discussing the medical field and transgender people. 2022, https://www.poynter.org/tfcn/2022/no-furries-dont-get-litter-boxes-in-school-bathrooms/. 11:AM-2:PM 99.9 FM /AM 1380 MA, RI. The conspiracy appears to be linked to concerns around LGBT+ identities being affirmed in the education system. The unnamed teenage girl, who is in Year 8, is reportedly allowed to. The trend toward acting like a cat or dog is real, even if the Midland school litter box is the hoax du jour. USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment. "It's sad were at a point in our culture that a rumor like this even needs to be addressed," said Blair Stenvick, the communications manager for the Portland-based nonprofit Basic Rights Oregon. It also directs schools to ensure that gender-neutral, single-occupant bathrooms are accessible to anyone. A Wisconsin school district has a set of "furry protocols" that allows students to identify as cats. I dont go out wearing tail, gloves, ears, or fursuit heads on any normal day, she said in an email. The litter boxes in schools hoax (also called the litter box canard) is a false rumor alleging that certain North American schools provide litter boxes in bathrooms for students who "identify as cats", or who participate in the furry or otherkin subcultures. ", "It implies to the student that this type of behavior is completely acceptable and normal," they wrote in the complaint to Salem-Keizer. The superintendent tells WLKY the situation is being addressed, but according to a concerned grandparent, its an ongoing problem that has many students on edge. Many people are doing what amounts to an experiment on these young people without telling them its an experiment. website:https://t.co/MPw6FiMrm1. Go to the fifth roweverybodys there. Some social media users are sharing a photo they claim shows a student who identifies as a cat. "It could lead to a life of pornography addiction and deviant behavior. This thing has gotten out of control with politicians just wanting to have a talking point, said John McDonald, former director of campus safety at Jefferson County schools, whos now a school security consultant. Roberts, an associate professor at Renison University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo in Canada, said that nearly all furries maintain distinct human personas and do not identify as animals. I dont understand why these kids are acting so un-human and not happy with themselves, she said. "Unbelievable.". The claim that a Wisconsin school district implemented furry protocols in order to deal with a wave of students identifying as cats is based almost entirely on one alleged email said to have. Cisgender refers to individuals who identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. Description. MIDLAND, MI As the culture wars around gender identity ramp up, a school superintendent in central Michigan found it necessary to make a statement on social media that students who identify as cats wont have to use litter boxes. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. At an October Midland school board meeting, an eighth grader said she was confused, as a student, why kids are walking around acting like cats and dogs., Speaking at about the 1:30-minute mark, she described a student who walked around the school with a long cat tail, cat ears and "little bells that jingled everywhere she went.". We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. No Left Turn in Education, a Leading Anti-Critical Race Theory Group, Frequently Pushes Toxic Rhetoric in Media. Media Matters for America, https://www.mediamatters.org/education/no-left-turn-education-leading-anti-critical-race-theory-group-frequently-pushes-toxic. "At a recent school board meeting, it was revealed that a Michigan school placed a LITTER BOXES in the bathroom for students that identify as cats," user Jovan Pulitzer captioned the video in the Facebook post. In general, "furries" are people who adopt and identify with an anthropomorphized animal persona, often within online or local communities of other furries, says Furscience, the public face of a team of researchers who study the subculture. Since many "furries", "therians", and "otherkins" often identify as non-heterosexual, this may be a good way for them to know that you are open to seeing all students. Whos doing it? And this little girl in the very front row says, You have to meow back at him; he identifies as a cat. Are you kidding me?, The student stormed out of the classroom when she laughed at him, she said, and the schools administration fired her: They said We no longer need your services if you cant identify with all the children in the classroom.'. The post has been shared more than 300 times and garnered receptions of both hilarity and condemnation. "I was hearing rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school this year. Thats hearsay. Feline humor, news and stories about the ongoing adventures of Buddy the Cat. A video of a central Michigan school board meeting. Regardless of what you have or have not heard about furries, it might surprise you to learn that there is a team of researchers who have devoted their careers to studying this fandom, Hal Herzog wrote for Psychology Todays Animals and Us column in 2017. He is going on 16 years old this year, and has been with us a long time. go to the park or an animal shelter and maybe youll be adopted! arguments have been used throughout history, such as comparing interracial and homosexual relationships to bestiality and pedophilia. Opponents said they believed the main purpose of the book was "to promote various agendas" related to the LGBTQ community in an attempt to "make it more acceptable in the mainstream. And it has not stopped some politicians from picking up these claims and using them to alarm people by saying that this is where protections for LGBTQ students will lead.