The rumor has been spreading persistently, but was unfounded each time: An Iowa superintendentsent a letterto parents to dispel the myth. They were wrong then and theyre wrong now. And today, I am equally stunned and a little bit upset -- well, not a little bit -- I'm furious," she said, according to a video of the meeting posted to YouTube. Also, the litter boxes dont exist. Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael No board members responded to the claim on the day of the meeting, but Sharrow's statement on Thursday dismissed the claim entirely. Iowa State Education Association Director Mary Jane Cobb said the litter box rumors are a right-wing attempt to mock LGBTQ+ restroom equality. If your child thinks they are a cat or a dog then you failed as a parent. We rely on the financial support of our readers to exist. Well, litter boxes, apparently. If a bunch of teens are willing to eat poisonous laundry pods for a social media post, pooping in sand seems almost harmless by comparison. Its not make-believe or fantasy. Answering the Left: But do you know any gay people? The Gazette is Iowas independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage. Thanks for contacting us. Some furries even wear animal costumes or tails in public. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. It has done nothing but distract people from the important work that we need to accomplish on a daily basis.". A Michigan superintendent said a rumor that a school district has litter boxes on school grounds for students who identify as furries to use the bathroom is false. Members of the "furries" fantasy subculture tell The Post they're not wild about this week . And the school was allowing kitty litter to be placed in the classroom or bathroom or both. Kathie Obradovich Iowa Capital Dispatch. Fourth, they need to be kicked out of school for pets are not allowed in school unless used to assist handicapped individuals as a service animal. If youve ever used the phrase Fake News now YOU can actually DO something about it! Sharon E. Roberts, Associate professor, Social Development Studies, University of Waterloo . Not at all, they said. In Kentucky a spokesperson for a school said a TikTok trend has students making animal noises toward each other specifically barking. A "furry" is someone who role-plays or identifies as an animal, or an animal character with human-like characteristics. Bostelman is the latest Republican state leader to repeat discredited rumors of students identifying as "furries" and demanding cat litter at school. First, contact the humane society for not having a valid animal license and not wearing a tag. Theres also a loss of appetite, for facts. "Kids who identify as 'furries' get a litter box in the school bathroom. View our online Press Pack. Free and independent journalism is what keeps our public servants accountable and responsive to the people. The district denied the allegation, but then just a couple of days later we were told about students identifying as cats in another district. Answering the Left: But do you know any gay people? This story has been shared 147,519 times. Sign up for my, according to Gazette education reporter Grace King, submitting a letter to the editor or guest column. Instead of seeking more understanding about their lives and approaching these issues with empathy and an open mind, the leaders of their state are spitting venom, stoking divisions and embracing nonsense. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. It was about a rumor involving an Iowa school. Click Manage settings for more information and to manage your choices. This is definitely going on in schools. The litter box canard also serves another political purpose: Trying to scare parents. "This is simply and emphatically not true," and goes on to say " It is very unfortunate that this rumor has been spread over the last several weeks. But the cost of using transgender kids as pawns in the war against teachers unions is much higher. School litter box fever will not die in Iowa. She also claimed that the nefarious practice was part of a nationwide agenda being pushed within the education system. In 2018 a blog for school counselors published a post entitled . Footage of her spurious accusation was subsequently shared to Facebook Thursday byMichigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock, who wrote, Parent heroes will TAKE BACK our schools.. In short: This behavior is not related to Furries so please stop lumping a harmless hobby in with an actual mental illness. Is your school pushing transgender and they dont wanna be, so theyd rather be a cat? When a community member made a claim about litter boxes being in Brainerd at a March . It looks like it isnt just happening in Iowa, thankfullyI guess? Published Jan 24, 2022. Jackie Jahfetson, The Dickinson Press, N.D. Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow took to Facebook on Thursday to deny the claims, insisting no litter box accommodations had been made for any students who identify as a "furry.". So many hats! Not in the Fort Dodge district, but in my Senate district, theyre requiring these schools to put kitty litter boxes in the bathroom, Kraayenbrink said, according to the Messengers Kelby Wingert. As a result, school boards and social media have spawned the subject into a hot button conversation and widespread rumors. Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming "kids are now requesting litter boxes at school" collected 3 million views on the platform. A Michigan school district has debunked a wild claim that a school provided litter boxes for students who identified as furries people who dress up as anthropomorphic animals. Bathrooms! Brilliant. 13, 2022 7:00 am, Updated: May. Counter-protestors stand and hold signs at the intersection of 10th Street and 29th Avenue during a protest against the Linn-Mar school boards passage of policies to protect transgender students from discrimination near Linn-Mar High School in Marion, Iowa on Friday, May 6, 2022. On Wednesday, Kraayenbrink said he misspoke and apologized for miscommunication. Im sort of surprised he didnt claim hes a victim of radical woke liberals and raise money. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Well, kind of. As part of this fact checking article, we reached out to Dickinson Public Schools to shed light on a growing rumor alleging that some unique furry protocols are coming to a school near you. Some go to conventions dressed as their favorite superheroes. 0:45. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. One post calling for school districts to take action has been shared more than 31,000 times. ", The post was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. We thought, no way., But then we thoughtwell, you never know.. 0. 13, 2022 4:31 pm. This week, on the same day Iowa Capital Dispatch published the Carroll litter box story, lawmakers were debating bills to ban transgender girls participation on womens sports teams and throw educators in jail for making obscene literature available to students. The school district has denied the claim. "My response to that would be one of the things that teachers have found recently that they've really tried to improve upon is in our language arts classes, (and) other classes too, is making sure that students understand author's point of view, author's bias, credible sources," Lewton said. In Wisconsin, several school districts debunked the claim, the APreported. In January, in possibly the first report, Libs of TikTok posted a video from a Michigan school board meeting of a woman who claimed "kids who identify as a cat or a dog" can pee in litter . These kids are already an astronomical risk for adverse mental health outcomes and suicidal ideation, Crow said. She continued: "It was addressed by a child a couple of months ago that they are put in an environment where that are kids that identify as a furry cat or a dog or whatever. The real goal with comparing furries to trans people and bringing up stuff like this is, one, to make fun of furries and say, Oh, arent they so silly. Same thing, wear ears, wear hooded onesies with ears and tails, purr, etc. If you have people who act like and believe they ARE animals, that is NOT a Furry. Dont think its not happening in your area because it probably is. They should be tossed into the litter box of history. Rebecca Kleeman, a spokeswoman for Millard Public Schools, said she is unaware of any incidents involving furries or requests for litter boxes. Copyright 2022 KCCI via CNN Newsource. This woman claims that a group of kids who identify as "furries" and specifically identified as cats was given litter boxes in the unisex bathroom at this school. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Monique Curet , PolitiFact. Her statement went viral on social media and thrust this rumor into the national spotlight. Many of the challenged books have LGBTQ themes. Litter boxes will not be put in schools on P.E.I. So he wasnt wearing his school board hat at the meeting. Todd Dorman. This story has been shared 125,674 times. In NY state, a baby can be aborted at birth, but it is illegal, no joke, to declaw a cat. You can also support us on PayPal at. Fifth, they need to be spayed or neutered cause these are the types of people that should not be allowed to breed! Fargo, Moorhead and West . Some furries even wear animal costumes or tails in public, I believe I'm a WOLF and I dress up using furry ears and a tail to howl in the woods, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). A level of psychiatry needs to be initiated before creating accommodations for students who identify as cats. , the term furry is defined as a "diverse community of fans, writers, gamers and role players," who come up with an anthropomorphized animal character that they identify with and can function as an avatar within the community. You guys are truly ignorant. Feb 14, 2022 Updated Mar 22, 2022. Supposedly, a female student was identifying as a cat. A Nebraska state senator has walked back comments he made during a televised debate in which he referenced false rumors about schools providing litter boxes for children who . If these student animals are so messed in the head, lets treat them like a cat or dog! She goes on to say that it is a NATIONAL problem going on in schools. And so, we've been working on that to make sure that our kids are good citizens and that they can identify author's bias or credible sources. Sick. All being a Furry means is that you enjoy anthropomorphic characters. Some say litter boxes are located in "transgender bathrooms" in schools. Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. A reaction from another user calling for . The superintendent tells WLKY the situation is being addressed, but according to a concerned grandparent, it's an ongoing problem that has many students on edge . or Venmo at Iowa-Standard-2018 or through the mail at: PO Box 112 Sioux Center, IA 51250 There continue to be tales of students identifying as cats with, well, tails and all . Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter. In Iowa, an unsourced, anonymous report claimed that school boards were considering placing litter boxes in the bathrooms, while a Canadian public school director took to the media to connect similar rumors in his [], [] Similar reports have popped up elsewhere. Taylor, doesnt your school have acting, dance, music, and art classes where you can express yourselves? The specific claim that schools are providing litter boxes for students who identify as cats or furries seemed to first emerge in 2021, targeting the Prince Edward Island's Public Schools Branch . All rights reserved. The only animals allowed in public schools are for the blind or those with a medical condition requiring a dog. Secondly, the parents need to be cited for having an unlicensed animal and have not had their rabies shots! Those that have sex in the suits is what they're infamous for, but that's only a small percent of furries. Locker rooms! The Meade School District will not be putting litter boxes in district schools, the superintendent said. We live in a conservative area of North Florida and A LOT of kids in our local middle school are furries. This is about stupidity not transphobia. It isnt how I pictured civilisations collapse. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. No wonder the kids are not learning! STURGIS "It's a social-media myth," Meade School District Superintendent Wayne Wormstadt said of the rumor that people are requesting litter boxes be placed in local schools for students who (Photo by pixelfit/Getty Images). They just want to live their lives and go to school, without fear of abuse. Sharrow said the rumor was recently brought up by a parent during a school board meeting on December 20 and has since been shared widely online. Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock. We did not find any credible news reports that support the claim. Carroll CSD Superintendent Casey Berlau sent an email to the entire district on February 7th. I wish I were making this up. Seriously folks, this sad spectacle is demoralizing and exhausting. 13, 2022 4:31 pm. Yeah, unfortunately. Its a slippery slope covered with culture war slime. When Can You Get Your License If Your Birthday Is On A Leap Day? A young child wears cat ears while doing school work at home. The solution, obviously, is to take tens of millions of dollars from public schools and give it to private schools, because parents should be scared to send their kids to public schools. O'Furr, who has traced the origins of the litter box urban legend, dates the hoax to at least 2008. Fact check: No, schools aren't providing litter boxes for students who identify as furries. Lawmakers are debating all kinds of extreme legislation, like Sen. Jake Chapmans school porn bill that threatens teachers with prison. That same day, Sharrow took to Facebook to clarify that the rumor was, in fact, false. (319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com, Opinion content represents the viewpoint of the author or The Gazette editorial board. This is about stupidity not transphobia. To his knowledge, Lewton said that he's not aware of any students identifying as a furry in the school system and said that the litter boxes are unfounded rumors. There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! Even putting litter boxes in the bathrooms in some schools? And others, who call themselves furries, create animal alter egos and interact with others who do the same. "And so I heard yesterday that at least one of our schools in our town has in one of those unisex bathrooms a litter box for the kids that identify as cats and I'm really disturbed by that.". That's when a local news story about a Pittsburgh furry convention led to unfounded . Maybe he was wearing the Joe and the Hoe Gotta Go hat he sported in a photo circulated on social media during last years school board campaign. I think we need some intervention on these kids and parents. My son's school (large suburban Chicago) has "furries". April 11, 2022 Updated: April 11, 2022 8:55 a.m. Mint Images/Getty Images . Or speak. You can change your choices at any time by visiting your privacy controls. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. You can join the conversation by submitting a letter to the editor or guest column or by suggesting a topic for an editorial to editorial@thegazette.com, Nikki Haley Guest Columnists 3h ago3h ago, John Zehms Letters to the Editor Mar. Superintendentsent a letterto parents to dispel the myth box fever will not be put in schools on.! In short: this behavior is not related to furries so please stop lumping a hobby! Gazette is Iowas independent, employee-owned source for local, state, a baby can aborted! Is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation spectacle is demoralizing and.... More information and to Manage your choices at any time by visiting your controls! The entire district on February 7th. `` in fact, false humane society for having. And social media have spawned the subject into a hot button conversation and widespread rumors scare... Hooded onesies with ears and tails, purr, etc the myth and! 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