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. However, a spokesperson for Aberdeenshire Council told The National: There are no cats and no pupils identifying as cats at Banff Academy.. Where did you get your info. Vicki McKenna Promotes False Claim about Furries in Waunakee School District. Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin, 4 Apr. Send comments, questions and tips to her atnpate@statesmanjournal.comor 503-399-6745. These situations have been addressed consistently by administration and the dress code policy will continue to be implemented with fidelity. HP10 9TY. Yet her intelligence level doesnt change the fact that mental health issues require treatment, not derision. 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. 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. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. Excuse me? You want to communicate by meowing? A teenage girl from Melbourne, Australia, identifies as a cat, according to multiple news stories. 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. The rumor about litter boxes gained enough traction that it was even mentioned during a March 2022 debate between state lawmakers in Nebraska. Opposing public figures is an emergency these days. someone pointed out. A source . "Apparently, from what I understand, theyre called 'furries,'" the grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, told WLKY. do koalas have poisonous claws. 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. The schools superintendent, Michael Sharrow, was forced to do damage control with a public statement, telling parents its a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you., There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation, Sharrow wrote. 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. Maddock did not respond to requests for comment. 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. As usual, left-wing ideologues have created larger societal problems by refusing to address the main issue. 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. February 27, 2023 . The superintendent at the school in Kentucky told WLWT the students violated the dress code, and that the administration had addressed the situation. Meade County Schools will not discuss individual student discipline due to privacy laws. But according to Superintendent Mark Martin, a petition isnt needed. 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. 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. USA TODAY reached out to Maddock and others who shared theclaim on social media for comment. Why would you attack our most vulnerable to get your point across, especially since the point is baseless?. Kirralie Smith May 18, 2021 Journalist Leisa Goddard has told Sky News program Hardgrave that she has evidence of some high school students identifying as cats. The rumour was also spread by popular US podcaster Joe Rogan. "I was hearing rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school this year. "It is ok to pretend to be a cat or dog in your private time, but the world and work force should not be forced to play along," one said. 5 min read. "Let's instead focus on real issues impacting Oregon youth.". Ben Collins covers disinformation, extremism and the internet for NBC News. Meshawn Maddock,theco-chair of the state Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated comment on Facebook. A Midland, Michigan, middle school student told the school board last fall some of her classmates identify as cats and dogs. Sheryl, if you have the name of the school district, and you can show me proof in the form of a written school policy, and put me in touch with your teacher friend in Georgia who can give me verifiable details, Ill be happy to write another follow-up article. That has not stopped such rumors from circulating on social media, where they have been repeated like a game of telephone, often with descriptions of friends of friends who supposedly saw such things firsthand. 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. A girl identifies as a cat, and both her parents and her private school are totes okay with it. Having said that, I can picture Family Guy creating much fanfare with this fictional student-cat-identity and substitute-teacher-noncompliance story. Be a serious parent or parents. Furthermore, there's no evidence that any schools in Michigan installed litterboxes for their students. Isla Bryson: Why are trans criminals put in Scottish women's prisons? Not everyone supported the policy changes, with a group protesting them outside district offices in April. Thankfully for our furry friends, smaller brains don't necessarily correlate to lower intelligence. This site is about cats, and I want everyone who loves cats to feel welcome here. Roughly three in four are under the age of 25, the group writes. Accessed 5 Apr. "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. Because weve gone insane as a society, of course, and basic reality now means different things to different people depending on their political ideologies. The rise of the litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that start on social media to shape political discourse. Identifying as human isn't good enough anymore, so now some must cross species to identify as a cat to gain attention. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The woman'sname is Nano and she was 20 at the time the images were captured, according to the reports. Netflix's new show is a slow-building horror-drama with Lovecraftian elements. 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. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Theres no such thing as a litter box at a furry convention.. 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 New York Times, USA TODAY, Politifact, Reuters and Snopes, among other publications, wrote articles confirming the claims were unfounded. It was"unconscionable" that he was addressing the rumor, Sharrow said,but he felt it necessary to do so because of its renewed spread on social media. Even more disturbing is the fact that the private school she attends is willing to acknowledge. I start looking on the ground, through the fourth roweverythings good. The world continues to spiral down into the seemingly bottomless pit of insanity, as Bristol University issues official guidelines for staff in the correct use of pronouns for those who identify as "catgender," reports the Daily Mail. 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. 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. 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? Dayna, 15, who lives in Canada, said she brings a mask and tail to school every day but only wears them during lunch and keeps them in her bag during class. She did not elaborate on what happened afterward but . florida porkfish regulations; nicholas letourneau georgetown. go to the park or an animal shelter and maybe youll be adopted! The enabling of this behavior is halping people with legitimate mental health issues get applause instead of the medical help they truly need. 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. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. 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.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. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools," he wrote. While Pesta claims that this woman was fired, she was not fired. Just wondering, if you identify yourself as a cat, If you are sick do you see a doctor or a veterenarian? Some things in life, like cats, are too good to be muddied by Americas toxic ideological wars. The claim: A Michigan school put litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identify as cats A video of a central Michigan school board meeting went national in mid-January after a parent. Independent TV. 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. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Happy birthday to Nano, and hopefully hell have many more! IE 11 is not supported. Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks. READ MORE:Anti-monarchy activists 'turn Buckingham Palace into polling station', But no, the school, the school resources and the other students and teachers should not have to be put through that because its a lie and we have to reject them.. Fact check: False claim about Boston Children's Hospital's transgender care program. Brogan, Dylan. Hananoki, Eric. "The Oregon Department of Education has had trans-inclusive policies in place for years now, and no harm has come to cisgender or transgender students as a result of those policies," Stenvick said. In December 2021, conservative activist Lisa Hansen claimed at a school board meeting in Midland, Michigan, that an unnamed school in the district had placed a litter box for the kids that identify as cats in a unisex bathroom as part of the agenda thats being pushed. Hansen, who later started a local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group, did not respond to requests for comment. As if to prove the superintendents point, commenters piled on, asking among other questions why the superintendent didnt address the issue of furries in schools. We have excellent schools here. A Michigan school superintendent debunked the rumor after a video from a December school board meeting resurfaced in which a speaker airs concerns about students who "identify as cats." Lisa. 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. Don't pay your auto insurance bill until you read this. 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. 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. Under a new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to be used. 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. In Kentucky earlier this school year, officials were perplexed by a group of middle school students who dressed and acted like cats, apparently after accepting a social media challenge, according to a report by news station WLWT. 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. "It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you.". Back to school: Oregon trans student's advice to LGBTQ youth. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. "Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation! Furries are part of an established subculture that has existed for decades. The #1 Way To Support This Channel Is Backing Me On SubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.com/thequarteringBecome A Youtube Member! 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. 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. email: John@depetro.com. And during a legislative hearing last month in Tennessee, two Republican state lawmakers discussed the growing crisis of public schools providing litter boxes for children who identify as cats, and claimed its happening across the state. Last January, the superintendent of Midland Public Schools in Michigan was forced to address community members on Facebook after the rumour took hold locally. It doesnt make sense," she added. TikTok False: The claim is. 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?. I dont take a political position and will not, as its important for all cat lovers to feel comfortable reading the site and participating in discussions. Many commenters who watched the video took the claim seriously. 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. The photos show a Norweigan adult who claimed to be acat in 2016. "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. morning journal obituaries past 3 days; when will allegiant release december 2022 flights Of local interest, Hansen insisted, are policies that she claims accommodate students who identify as furries, or cats and dogs. Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who arent really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse. 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. Did a Michigan School District Install Litter Boxes in Bathrooms? Snopes.Com, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/litter-boxes-bathrooms/. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. 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