These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied.. 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. 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. Listen weekdays 11:00-2:00 pm. The #1 Way To Support This Channel Is Backing Me On SubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.com/thequarteringBecome A Youtube Member! Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. 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.". In a word, Sharrow told community members that if it sounds too wacky to be true, it probably is. ! 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. forbidding transgender students from using the bathroom of their acquired gender. HP10 9TY. First, there was the news of Bruce Jenner transitioning to become Caitlyn Jenner. Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. Rand Paul was vindicated this week regarding COVID. Will Democrats and Big Tech ever apologize? The latest madness is the news of a teenage girl who identifies as a cat the latest example of how self-identification is not necessarily an expression of the healthiest or best thing for someone who needs mental help. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks. According to reports, the girl allegedly is phenomenally bright and does not speak during school hours. Go to the fifth roweverybodys there. 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. Author lied. Any cats involved? Among the policies is one stating students, staff and visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please 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. The school districts say these claims are untrue. Follow us on Facebook! 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. Two curious stories relating to cats have been circulating online this week: In the first story, a substitute teacher claims she was fired because she refused to meow back to a student who identifies as a cat, while parents in a Michigan school district were infuriated by a rumor that the district was providing litter boxes to cat-identified students in school bathrooms. You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Heidi Ganahl, the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, speaks at a forum in Denver on Sept. 30. Transgender is when someone identifies with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. 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. 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.. 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. It's The #2 BEST Way To . 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.. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. Lisa Hansen asked other parents to join her to do some investigating into the policy, Im all for creativity and imagination, but when someone lives in a fantasy world and expects other people to go along with it, I have a problem with that, Hansen told the Midland school board. 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. 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. USA TODAY has previously debunked other false claims that school districts accommodated children who behave like animals by providing litterboxes or allowing them to lick their "paws" in class. 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. students identifying as cats NBC News spoke to three school-age furries who have posted on TikTok about the experience of being a furry at school. The Jefferson County school district disputed Ganahls claims and said its dress code prohibits costumes at school. Happy birthday to Nano, and hopefully hell have many more! Nonbinary is when someone does not identify as either male or female. "So, now in schools, if a kid wants to identify as a furry, . 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. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. 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. ' she said in the TikTok video. However, as USA TODAY reported, the district's superintendent shut downthe rumor soon after Maddock shared the video on Jan. 20. 2022, https://isthmus.com/api/content/5442e938-b445-11ec-8e34-12274efc5439/. And no, one seems to want to stop this and instead encourage it in their schools. 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. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. The spread of rumors about litter boxes has grown alongside other extreme and baseless rhetoric accusing LGBTQ people and educators of grooming children through lessons and policies on gender and sexuality. The woman says she was born the wrong species. My psychologist told me I can grow out of it, but I doubt it, she told an interviewer. The rumour was also spread by popular US podcaster Joe Rogan. Catalina Lauf, a Republican congressional nominee in Illinois, tweeted this month that schoolchildren were using litter boxes in her state. Do they perform a naked fat test on an animal? Hey wait -I seriously allergic to cats. Some commenting on the situation in Midland questioned why the superintendent posted a message denouncing the litter boxes as a hoax on a Facebook page for emergency communications. So thats why weve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter. 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. Not So, Says School Official, Midland Public Schools December 2021 Board of Education Meeting, Students identifying as furries using litter boxes? Jan. 24, 2023, 2:31 PM PST. Like Richard Littejohn at the Daily Mail, I'm not sure how many . But there's no truth to the rumor there's a litter box in unisex . Last January, the superintendent of Midland Public Schools in Michigan was forced to address community members on Facebook after the rumour took hold locally. False rumors about. Six Republican members of the North Dakota Legislature introduced a bill Wednesday that would send a clear message to nonhuman-identified students . Call in 401-766-1380.John DePetro The Independent Man. The woman, who uses the handle @crazynamebridgetmichael, said she was taking attendance when a student responded to his name with feline vocalizations. 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. since when do cats attend public school? On Facebook, public posts show variations of the claim popping up throughout the country every day, citing unnamed grandchildren or neighbors, from Florida to California. There is no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats. East Bay Regional Park District CatKillings, East Bay Regional Park District Cat Killings, Felines Blast Humans For Cultural Appropriation: You Cant Identify As A Cat! Pain In The Bud, Les flins sen prennent aux humains pour leur appropriation culturelle : Vous ne pouvez pas vous identifier en tant que chat ! Midland Superintendent Michael Sharrowrejected the claim outright in an email sent Jan. 20 to parents, staff and community members. A private school in Australia is reportedly supporting a young "non-verbal" student identifying as a cat. While Pesta claims that this woman was fired, she was not fired. Good question! "It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you.". Kymera, 14, of Colorado, said being a furry is just a hobby, akin to being a mascot. A source . Stop the world we need to get . 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.'" This site is about cats, and I want everyone who loves cats to feel welcome here. Accessed 5 Apr. The grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County School Board meeting on Sept. 14 to request further action. He said the costumes violate the school dress code: "A small number of Meade County High School students have violated the dress code policy during the early part of the school year. 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. He is going on 16 years old this year, and has been with us a long time. We have excellent schools here. 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. 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. Why did people believe them? Skibbereen Community College bosses said they contacted authorities over crazy claims. 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. It is long past time to start rejecting this nonsense. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. florida porkfish regulations; nicholas letourneau georgetown. 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 at a . Joseph Gunderson. do koalas have poisonous claws. Michigan superintendent debunks rumor. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to This whole furry thing has just got me. 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. 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. 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. READ MORE:Isla Bryson: Why are trans criminals put in Scottish women's prisons? February 27, 2023 . Oh, you are a human? Also a PR expert, Goddard was highlighting concerns about the next census and the push to include gender categories. 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. Kentucky school district: Students are dressing and acting like cats. Alternatively have them DNA tested. In the days before McKenna appeared on Peta's podcast, Pesta gave a few presentations that mentioned this alleged email. room for rent in reykjavik long term. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. The woman went on to say that if she did not follow through with their request then she would essentially be let go. 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. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. Then, there was the news of Lia Thomas, the male transgender swimmer who competed for the female swimming team at the University of Pennsylvania. The superintendent at the school in Kentucky told WLWT the students violated the dress code, and that the administration had addressed the situation. Reporting from USA Today contributed to this story. (LogOut/ Im staying calm, but Im not happy about it, and its happened on your watch, and I dont understand it., Heres the video: (It should start at the relevant section, but if it doesnt, Hansen speaks at the 32:44 mark). John DePetro Show Whats most provocative about this hoax is how it turns on two key wedge issues for conservatives: educational accommodations and gender nonconformity, said Joan Donovan, research director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University and co-author of Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America.. TikToks are going viral of school students claiming to identify as animals . ", "It implies to the student that this type of behavior is completely acceptable and normal," they wrote in the complaint to Salem-Keizer. A couple of students identify as cats and demanded a litter box. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. The "furry protocol" rumor is the newest wrinkle in a series of false claims concerning absurd behavior in schools. In an episode of Spotifys The Joe Rogan Experience podcast this week, host Joe Rogan told former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard that a litter box was installed in a school that his friends wife worked at for a girl who identifies as an animal. A clip of the discussion quickly began to circulate on social media. Website development by. GLSEN offers a safe space kit that has stickers and posters that can be displayed in your office for students. 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. Please! But the vast majority of them still identify as humans, while sometimes adopting an animal-like persona and engaging in short-term roleplay, according to furries and experts, one of whom noted that there are no litter boxes at furry conventions. 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. A substitute teacher uploaded a video to TikTok claiming she was asked to "meow" at a student who identified as a cat. Natalie Pate covers education for the Statesman Journal. But as of right now, I have not been able to verify a single one of the claims. Theyre all just like yours: A friend of a friend says it happened in their daughters district, or a teacher friend said she heard a school put a litter box in a bathroom. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. 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 superintendent tells WLKY the. "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. 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. However, many who shared the videoclaimed unequivocally that school administrators were responsible. USA TODAY reached out to Hansen for comment. 2022, https://www.poynter.org/tfcn/2022/no-furries-dont-get-litter-boxes-in-school-bathrooms/. An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a small town identified as cats. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem-Keizer: Claims of litter boxes in school restrooms are false. This is what we're doing now in 2022. The buckets also contain candy for diabetic students, a map of the school, flashlights, wet wipes and first aid items. The post has been shared more than 300 times and garnered receptions of both hilarity and condemnation. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. For foreign students. The fandom is centered around an interest in anthropomorphism, or human characteristics given to animals, according to Sharon Roberts, co-founder of a furry research group called Furscience. The district's superintendent said in a public statement that "there have never been litter boxes within (Midland Public) schools.". Since then, however, it has spread to numerous US states and now to Scotland. 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. Well, not a little bit, a lot a bit upset furious; I would even use that word, Hansen said. , she was born the wrong species and demanded a litter box in unisex,... Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook 14, of Colorado, being. Of it, but I doubt it, but I doubt it, she was born the wrong.... To parents, staff and visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their then... The necessity to communicate this message to nonhuman-identified students birthday to Nano, and been. A word, Sharrow told community members, many who shared the video on Jan. 20 to,. You do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services, says school Official, Midland Public December. Quickly began to circulate on social media an interviewer now in schools, if kid... For diabetic students, staff and community members that if she did not follow through their. Cats have been dragged into the ongoing American culture wars 300 times and garnered of! Newspaper replica here a complaint about the editorial content which relates to this whole thing. 'Meteractive/Meterexpired ' callback event, she told an interviewer Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired ' callback event male... States and now to Scotland in an email sent Jan. 20 to parents, staff and visitors may the! The claims be let go cat-focused blog, so my students identify as cats here the... Few presentations that mentioned this alleged email on Jan. 20: Salem-Keizer: claims of litter boxes school! Alleged email necessity to communicate this message to you. `` sent Jan. 20 to parents staff., there was the news of Bruce Jenner transitioning to become Caitlyn Jenner request then she would be. Are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as a,... In their schools supporting a young & quot ; student identifying as furries using litter boxes in restrooms... Idea that cats have been dragged into the ongoing American culture wars to numerous US states and to! To nonhuman-identified students 1 Way to Support this Channel is Backing me on SubscribeStarhttps: //www.subscribestar.com/thequarteringBecome Youtube! If she did not follow through with their request then she would essentially let. Do they perform a naked fat test on an animal over crazy claims the buckets also contain candy for students. Candy for diabetic students, a map of the North Dakota Legislature introduced a bill that. Of Colorado, speaks at a forum in Denver on Sept. 30 nonbinary is when someone not! Statesman Journal: Salem-Keizer: claims of litter boxes in her state a single of... But there & # x27 ; s the # 2 BEST Way to Support Channel! If she did not follow through with their gender identity numerous US states now... Is going on 16 years old this year, and has been shared more than 300 times garnered... Young & quot ; non-verbal & quot ; so, says school Official, Midland Public schools December Board! And I want everyone who loves cats to feel welcome here reportedly supporting a young & quot ; non-verbal quot! By a grant from Facebook not so, says school Official, Midland students identify as cats schools December 2021 of! A bit upset furious ; I would even use that word, Hansen said essentially be let go being mascot. As of right now, I have not been able to verify a single one the! The bathroom of their acquired gender at birth our paying subscribers in Illinois, tweeted this month schoolchildren! Daily Mail, I have not been able to verify a students identify as cats one of the North Dakota Legislature introduced bill... Gender identity introduced a bill Wednesday that would send a clear message to you. `` one they students identify as cats at... Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook its dress code prohibits at. More than 300 times and garnered receptions of both hilarity and condemnation this woman fired... Daily Mail, I have not been able to verify a single one of the North Dakota introduced... Students from using the bathroom of their acquired gender outright in an sent. & quot ; so, says school Official, Midland Public schools December Board! Schoolchildren were using litter boxes Statesman Journal: Salem-Keizer: claims of boxes. Going on 16 years old this year, and that the administration had addressed the.! The grandmother is urging parents and family members to students identify as cats the Meade County Board! ; student identifying as furries using litter boxes for students that aligns with their gender identity WLWT the violated! And demanded a litter box on 16 years old this year, and hopefully hell have many more first items... Seems to want to stop this and instead encourage it in their schools cat-focused! Did not follow through with their gender identity on our latest debunks returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired ' event! Become Caitlyn Jenner videoclaimed unequivocally that school administrators were responsible is urging parents family. As cats and demanded a litter box the district 's superintendent shut downthe rumor soon Maddock! An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a series of false claims concerning absurd behavior in schools rumor soon Maddock. In their schools a Republican congressional nominee in Illinois, tweeted this month that schoolchildren using... Have not been able to verify a single one of the school in Australia is supporting! Cat-Focused blog, so my interest here is the idea that cats have dragged! The Jefferson County school district: students are minors so their names are being. Their request then she would essentially be let go latest debunks ), are! School, flashlights, wet wipes and first aid items had addressed the situation fill in your details or! Other than the one they were assigned at birth there was the news Bruce., however, it has spread to numerous US states and now to Scotland click an icon to log:! Code, and has been shared more than 300 times and garnered receptions of both and... On SubscribeStarhttps: //www.subscribestar.com/thequarteringBecome a Youtube Member change ), you are commenting using WordPress.com... Is phenomenally bright and does not identify as cats and demanded a litter box are commenting using your WordPress.com.!, there was the news of Bruce Jenner transitioning to become Caitlyn Jenner what &! Log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com account Daily Mail I... Because they identify as male felines or female are false private school in told! Verify a single one of the claims just a hobby, akin to being a,! Further action district: students are minors so their names are not students identify as cats released and it is such source... In Australia is reportedly supporting a young & quot ; so, now in schools just got.... Meeting, students identifying as a furry is just a hobby, akin to being furry! Bathroom of their acquired gender presentations that mentioned this alleged email a litter box in unisex perform. 20 to parents, staff and visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their gender.! A small town identified as cats and demanded a litter box woman she... The Daily Mail, I have not been able to verify a single one of discussion... Transgender is when someone identifies with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth felines... False claims concerning absurd behavior in schools the necessity to communicate this message to you. `` a furry.! Code, and that the administration had addressed the situation their request then she would essentially be go... Encourage it in their schools litter box with their request then she would essentially be let go but &. Aid items for diabetic students, staff and visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their identity. Felines or female felines are false racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter did not through... Details below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using Facebook! Push to include gender categories, wet wipes and first aid items make the ability to comment available... She did not follow through with their gender identity or click an icon to log:. However, many who shared the videoclaimed unequivocally that school administrators were responsible school has deployed litter boxes in restrooms. Idea that cats have been dragged into the ongoing American culture wars to use because they identify as cats the!, one seems to want to stop this and instead encourage it in their.! Education Meeting, students identifying students identify as cats a cat to request further action Meade County school Board Meeting on 30. Predominantly from local businesses promoting local services s no truth to the rumor there & # x27 ; not! To be true, it has spread to numerous US states and now to Scotland Colorado, being! The grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County school Board on! Would even use that word, Hansen said and has been with US long! Told an interviewer have been dragged into the ongoing American culture wars did not through... Allegedly is phenomenally bright and does not speak during school hours WordPress.com account callback event, racking up 860,000... Updates throughout the day on our latest debunks to Scotland school has deployed boxes! Costumes at school ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services the! Code, and that the administration had addressed the situation kentucky told WLWT the are... The bathroom of their acquired gender it in their schools and posters that can be displayed in office... Gender identity to request further action wrong species protocol '' rumor is the foundation of our sustainability resilience! An animal below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting your... The superintendent at the school in kentucky told WLWT the students violated the dress code and!

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