2022. 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. "The grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County School Board meeting on Sept. 14 to request further action. Feline humor, news and stories about the ongoing adventures of Buddy the Cat. Cisgender refers to individuals who identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. This claim as well as many others are simply false and are causing unnecessary stress to students and staff, Norbert Carpenter, the director of schools, said in the post. But according to Superintendent Mark Martin, a petition isnt needed. Kymera, 14, of Colorado, said being a furry is just a hobby, akin to being a mascot. The #1 Way To Support This Channel Is Backing Me On SubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.com/thequarteringBecome A Youtube Member! Victoria Education; Claims school students are grooming each other, wearing cat tails as part of new 'furries' trend. Similar "if we allow this, what's next?" subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Rumours of the incident spread on the Banff and Macduff Community Group Facebook page, with many chiming in to condemn the school and allege that their children had confirmed the event occurred at Banff Academy in Aberdeenshire. 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. Heidi Ganahl, the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, speaks at a forum in Denver on Sept. 30. This material may not be reproduced without permission. 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. "Furries" roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. Send comments, questions and tips to her atnpate@statesmanjournal.comor 503-399-6745. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's In a clip from 'What is a Woman?', a documentary by right-wing commentator Matt Walsh, interviewee Sara Stockton, a family therapist based in New York, says schoolchildren are self-identifying as. A Wisconsin school district has a set of "furry protocols" that allows students to identify as cats. (LogOut/ In April, three Republican lawmakers in Minnesota took turns during floor debate discussing rumors theyd heard about children identifying as cats at school, cutting holes in uniforms for tails and possibly using litter boxes. 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. Then, there was the news of Lia Thomas, the male transgender swimmer who competed for the female swimming team at the University of Pennsylvania. WATCH: New Buddy Wildlife Documentary Premieres OnPITB! I like bringing them because its a way to show my creative outlet and something to talk to my friends about. "It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you.". "This baseless rumor is an attempt to drum up controversy in an area where there should be none all students deserve to feel safe and respected at school. If they feel they are cats, they should stay home, get a liscense and a rabies shot and use their back yard or litter box. Well, not a little bit, a lot a bit upset furious; I would even use that word, Hansen said. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. It doesnt make sense," she added. We have excellent schools here. Jan. 24, 2023, 2:31 PM PST. Other students felt threatened by the furries, who would hiss at you and scratch at you if they dont like something youre doing, the report said. Yesterday I heard something, and I was stunned, and today I am equally stunned and a little bit upset. I get to the third row and I hear this meow! Uhhh, excuse me? But this post tells a story that simply didn't happen. "They identify with animals. No actual evidence has been presented to support the claim. former QAnon supporter and Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Greene. This is a cat-focused blog, so my interest here is the idea that cats have been dragged into the ongoing American culture wars. '"The grandmother said a petition to end the practice was created by students and has more than 1,000 signatures. Ultimately, when you allow people to transition or identify as something they are not, by enabling these mental health issues instead of trying to resolve them, the natural progression is for people to start identifying legitimately as other things, such as cats. But it is important to recognize that the claim comes from a place of deep fear-mongering about creating LGBTQ2SIA+ inclusive spaces in our schools.". Top image: A 20-year-old Norwegian woman who identifies as a cat. "Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation! Hansen noted the rumor warranted "more investigation" and did not make a claim about who had installed the litter boxes. 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. Cant even google interprete for you. 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. "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. I understand WHY my daughter home schooled our grandchildren.". Stop the world we need to get . This event was sponsored by No Left Turn In Education, a group Media Matters describes as an anti-critical race theory group, and presented by the FreedomProject Academy, an online academy founded by the right-wing political advocacy group the John Birch Society. Click here to sign up for our fact-check text chat, Communication Regarding False Accusation Made at December MPS Board of Education Meeting, Litter Boxes for Students Who Identify as Furries? As he argued for the resolution in a public meeting, Shea said, Weve literally got kids who think theyre cats and dogs using litter boxes in classrooms. Shea did not respond to requests for comment. "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. As he stated in his message, the board meeting took place on Dec. 20, 2021, and did not circulate widely until mid-January. Skibbereen Community College bosses said they contacted authorities over crazy claims. As well as corroboration from a superintendent, principal or teacher who can say this is happening in their district. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. "Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation! Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. "The students are told they cant wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. NBC News found one example of a school district keeping cat litter on campuses for students to use but it had nothing to do with accommodating children who identify as animals. 2022, https://isthmus.com/api/content/5442e938-b445-11ec-8e34-12274efc5439/. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Rumors began to surface that these students were permitted to use litter boxes in bathrooms to. By Anthony Brian Logan (ABL) January 24, 2022. Hansen did not provide evidence for the claim about litter boxes during the school board meeting. Perhaps even more surprising is what nearly a decade of research on the subject can tell us all about how we relate to animals, how we understand ourselves, and how we benefit from letting the inner child run wild every so often.. A girl identifies as a cat, and both her parents and her private school are totes okay with it. The Waunakee Community School District does not have protocols for furries, nor do we have an issue with disruptions in our school and classrooms.. This is what we're doing now in 2022. USA Today, "Fact check: No, a Michigan public school did not provide litter boxes for students identifying as cats," Jan. 30, 2022. "I was hearing rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school this year. Thankfully for our furry friends, smaller brains don't necessarily correlate to lower intelligence. "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. False rumors about. When asked by NBC News for evidence to support her assertion, Lauf referred to an anonymous far-right blog that claimed a student was permitted to wear a furry suit to school in Hinsdale, Illinois. It is long past time to start rejecting this nonsense. 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. Ben Collins covers disinformation, extremism and the internet for NBC News. Accessed 5 Apr. The school reportedly said in a statement that its students were demonstrating a range of issues from mental health, anxiety or identity issues. Its a safe bet that the girl identifying as a cat fits this description. Of local interest, Hansen insisted, are policies that she claims accommodate students who identify as furries, or cats and dogs. 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.. TikToks are going viral of school students claiming to identify as animals . But as of right now, I have not been able to verify a single one of the claims. The only problem is it isnt true. Proof would be a letter home to parents, a notice on a district website, a copy of a school policy, that sort of thing. Kentucky school district: Students are dressing and acting like cats. Occams Razor would indicate she was just chasing clicks. "This is still a problem. The unnamed teenage girl, who is in Year 8, is reportedly allowed to. Shetold The New York Times on Jan. 23 that she was a "concerned mom" whodidn't feel she knew enough about what was going on at her child's school. 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.". The grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County School Board meeting on Sept. 14 to request further action. The district where Columbine High School is located has been stocking classrooms with small amounts of cat litter since 2017, but as part of go buckets that contain emergency supplies in case students are locked in a classroom during a shooting. Across the country, from New York to Iowa and Texas, the same rumor swept through districts this spring. Many commenters who watched the video took the claim seriously. Natalie Pate covers education for the Statesman Journal. Rand Paul was vindicated this week regarding COVID. 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. 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. In 2021 and 2022, various American conservative and far-right politicians and media personalities promoted the hoax in response to . I dont understand why these kids are acting so un-human and not happy with themselves, she said. Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. 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. U/D Providence: **Shots Fired** 41 & 43 Ridgeway Ave. shots fired into two homes. Meshawn Maddock,theco-chair of the state Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated comment on Facebook. 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. Meet Nano, the woman who thinks she is a cat. In an email sent to parents, staff and community members on Jan. 20, Midland Public SchoolsSuperintendent Michael Sharrowdenied the claim that "litter boxes were provided within MPS student restrooms for those who identify themselves as 'furries.'" That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with. Rogan did not name the school, and his publicist did not respond to a request for comment. Why would you attack our most vulnerable to get your point across, especially since the point is baseless?. In an Oct. 19, 2021, Facebook post, the Public Schools Branch of Prince Edward Island said that for several months it had fielded calls, been sent emails and been pointed to numerous social media posts that make broad sweeping assertions regarding students who identify as cats. You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming kids are now requesting litter boxes at school collected 3 million views on the platform. Im just embarrassed by what this has gotten to," she said. 2. Accessed 5 Apr. The inmates cannot continue to run the asylum. Follow, Investigative Radio host/ On-Scene Facebook Live stream. 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. WATCH LIVE: Merrick Garland testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee. A SCOTTISH secondary school has had to deny reports that some of its pupils were identifying as cats and defecating on the floor after school officials refused to provide a litterbox. Every school district that has been named by those 20 politicians said either to NBC News or in public statements that these claims are untrue. 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. 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. A video of a central Michigan school board meeting went national in mid-January after aparent claimed that a"nefarious" agendahad taken hold of public schools in her county. Sen. Bruce Bostleman would later apologize for falsely claiming that students were meowing, identifying as cats, and going to the bathroom in litter boxes. USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment. pass bills that would require teachers to notify parents if their child is identifying as transgender at school. Local advocates want to shut down that line of thinking. Pain In The Bud, FurryGate: Rogan, Boebert, Greene Drag Cats Into Politics With Claims Of Litter Boxes In Schools Pain In The Bud. Editors' Code of Practice. how to craft sawmill in terraria . Additionally, this summer, a group of parents and community members unsuccessfully pushedfor the removal of "Gender Queer: A Memoir," a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe that discusses topics such as asexuality and being nonbinary, from Salem-Keizer high school libraries. "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. The rumor of litter boxes in schools appears to have begun among parents on social media, and one of the first schools to confront the falsehood was in Canada last fall. She did not elaborate on what happened afterward but . Under a new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to be used. Special access for subscribers! Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claimthat a Michigan school put litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identify as cats. Description. Michael E. Sharrow via the Midland City/County Police/EMS Scanner Facebook page, Jan. 20. I have never once heard a furry say they want to use a litter box, Kymera said. First, the obvious, or perhaps not-so-obvious considering the media attention and outrage surrounding both stories: Neither one is true. It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication, Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow wrote in a community message Thursday. An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a small town in their state identified as cats. The story was picked up by several widely-read sites, included in Tucker Carlsons daily newsletter, and reshared on prominent Twitter accounts in addition to going viral on Facebook. A SCHOOL in Michigan has bizarrely been accused by outraged parents of installing litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identify as cats and dogs. Andy Cross / Denver Post via Getty Images. florida porkfish regulations; nicholas letourneau georgetown. I dont go out wearing tail, gloves, ears, or fursuit heads on any normal day, she said in an email. Meade County Schools will not discuss individual student discipline due to privacy laws. 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. The superintendent at the school in Kentucky told WLWT the students violated the dress code, and that the administration had addressed the situation. Why did people believe them? Author lied. "Apparently, from what I understand, theyre called 'furries,'" the grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, told WLKY. I was also walking down the hallway three weeks ago when a boy wearing dog ears barked at me and my friend as we passed, she said, adding the boy left the school building on all fours. Roberts said that in her research career, shes never heard of or seen an instance of a furry wanting a litter box. Rumors claiming schools are putting litter boxes in restrooms for students who identify as cats have spread across the United States this year, and have now reached Salem. Any cats involved? 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. "They identify with animals. It started when a video of a central Michigan school board meetingwent viral in mid-January after aparent claimed a"nefarious" agendahad taken hold of public schools in her county. 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. 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, as USA TODAY reported, the district's superintendent shut downthe rumor soon after Maddock shared the video on Jan. 20. I was told by a teacher friend in Georgia that this is true in her state as well. The postfrom Peggy Hubbard, who lost a recentIllinois Republican U.S. Senate primary, implies a connection to a U.S. school district, but the pictures don't show an American public school student or anything recent. The superintendent tells WLKY the. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they dont like something youre doing.". A Cork school has notified gardai - over bogus claims that a student has decided to identify as a cat. Some social media users are sharing a photo they claim shows a student who identifies as a cat. Fact Check: Was Teacher Fired for Not Meowing Back at Student Who Identifies as Cat? Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2022, https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-was-teacher-fired-not-meowing-back-student-who-identifies-cat-1672597. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. A reaction from another user calling for schools to stop admitting furries to schools brought in over 1 million views. A video of Wisconsin talk radio host Vicki McKenna's appearance on the Dr. Duke Show, a podcast hosted by Dr. Duke Pesta, racked up more than 100,000 views as it circulated on social media: There's no truth to this rumor. It could damage the student's future self-image and destroy ambitions.". The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter. There are no photos or videos documenting such behavior. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. 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. Do they perform a naked fat test on an animal? 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. Human civilization has to put a halt to these destructive behaviors. 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, in fact every school district that has been named by those 20 politicians said in public statements that these claims are untrue. hurricane shannon 1936. . The rumour was also spread by popular US podcaster Joe Rogan. 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." Ive studied more than 40,000 furries from 70 different countries over a decade, she said. 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 . Last month, Brendan Shea, a Republican and member of the Ohio State Board of Education, introduced a resolution to oppose civil rights protections for LGBTQ students. Don't pay your auto insurance bill until you read this. Vicki McKenna Promotes False Claim about Furries in Waunakee School District. Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin, 4 Apr. And now schools are wanting to put litter boxes in the schools for these children to use. 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. North Kingstown Councilwoman Mary Brimer sounded the alarm after hearing stories from parents of the school installing litter boxes at a school in a special section hidden from view. It doesnt matter what a kid dresses like, one person wrote, adding it doesnt mean they are [taking care of business] in a litter box., Clothing is one thing, someone else replied, but walking around on all fours hissing and scratching at people is a whole nother issue that is being ignored.. students identifying as cats. Our approach is always unique to the student and we will take into account professional advice and the wellbeing of the student, the Australian school said in a statement. Really. Ben Goggin is the deputy editor for technology at NBC News Digital. The one thing thats certain, however, is that cats dont deserve to be in the middle of this mess. TikTok False: The claim is. The rumor about litter boxes gained enough traction that it was even mentioned during a March 2022 debate between state lawmakers in Nebraska. In this divisive/contentious world in which we currently find ourselves, I ask that if you hear wild accusations that dont sound like something in which your Midland Public Schools Board of Education, Administration, District would be part, take a moment to send an MPSConnect message to me, he wrote, providing the MPSConnect link. Many people are doing what amounts to an experiment on these young people without telling them its an experiment. The spread of false rumors about students identifying as cats and using litter boxes has been laughed off by many but is a point of concern for others. Even more disturbing is the fact that the private school she attends is willing to acknowledge. "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. And it demonstrates how quickly some elements of truth can be twisted and mashed up with fully debunked assertions to create a viral narrative amplified by prominent politicians, as well as commentators with large audiences. 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. I start looking on the ground, through the fourth roweverythings good. 2022 03 31 Dr Duke Pesta VFW Hartland. False rumors about litter boxes in classrooms have gained momentum in recent months. But the claim has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators.