I know what my folks would have done if I had notions like that. View our online Press Pack. A school had to send an email putting this rumor to rest. Fargo School Board member Jennifer Benson told The Forum that a student informed her some schools have litter boxes in restrooms for students who identify as furries. Go figure: The social media criticisms flew fast and furry-ous. If youve ever used the phrase Fake News now YOU can actually DO something about it! The school district has denied the claim. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. Kathie Obradovich Iowa Capital Dispatch. All being a Furry means is that you enjoy anthropomorphic characters. Are you hearing similar nonsense? Kersten asked. But the narrative that schools would indulge students in this fashion has a much darker underbelly. 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. Supposedly, a female student was identifying as a cat. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. All these harmful, spiteful tactics targeting Iowans and their rights for a political payday carry an unmistakable stench. Other, similar claims also have circulated in Wisconsin where a school districtdeniedthat it allows students who identify as furries to lick their paws in gym class and bark in hallways and in Texas, where a candidate for state officefalsely claimedthat cafeteria tables are being lowered to allow furries to eat without using utensils. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. And oh, by the way, transgender identities are just as silly as this. It all ended in a big fight that caused massive property damage to the school. . Parents have claimed that at least one litter box was installed in a unisex bathroom for children who identify themselves as 'furries' Credit: Getty. Iowa State Education Association Director Mary Jane Cobb said the litter box rumors are a right-wing attempt to mock LGBTQ+ restroom equality. "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. As for the rest of us, expect headaches, confusion and exhaustion. 0:00. Answering the Left: But do you know any gay people? I live about two blocks from the school board administrator in my county, whom through his wife told us that a young lady in our district is indeed putting up a squabble about being denied accommodation as a cat. Secondly, the parents need to be cited for having an unlicensed animal and have not had their rabies shots! They dont literally think that theyre cats or dogs, or whatever, and theyre not asking schools to put litter boxes in, or any of this nonsense.. If they are not claimed within 72 hours, they need to be euthanized. At the school sit-down, concerned parent Lisa Hansen said she was really disturbed after reportedly learning from a student that at least one of our schools in our town, in one of the unisex bathrooms, a litter box for the kids that identify as cats. Imagine being such a tone deaf journalist that you miss the whole point that this is about transphobia and mocking trans people. A furry is someone who role-plays or identifies as an animal, or an animal character with human-like characteristics. A couple of weeks ago we received an email. 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. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Facebook post detailing the hilarious rumor, Maid caf trashed as Hooters for incels now biz is booming, My boyfriend cheated on me with my stepmom heres how I busted them, I rage applied myself out of workplace hell and into an extra $50K, Im an 89-year-old who went on my first date in 30 years but got stood up. Theyre also allowed to bark. (Photo by pixelfit/Getty Images) A recent story out of small-town Iowa was getting lots of twitters and titters: The Carroll school superintendent sent out an email to parents to knock down a false rumor that there were litter boxes in school bathrooms to . A Michigan school district has debunked a wild claim that the school provided litter boxes for students who identified as "furries." . In the Dec. 21, 2021, YouTube video, which now has more than 91,000 views, a woman said during the Midland Public Schools board meeting that she was told there was a litter box in the bathroom of . We've received your submission. Wow! She goes on to say that it is a NATIONAL problem going on in schools. But as far as as I know, I haven't (heard anything). A district patron asked the school board at its meeting last week if this . O'Furr, who has traced the origins of the litter box urban legend, dates the hoax to at least 2008. ", The post was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. A recent story out of small-town Iowa was getting lots of twitters and titters: The Carroll school superintendent . "There are no litter boxes in our schools. "So, now in schools, if a kid wants to identify as a furry, the school goes along with it?," read an April 4 Facebookpost. Well, its instructive to note that before Kraayenbrink went on his flight of feline fancy, he was talking about the Linn-Mar School Boards recent decision to pull together its existing policies for supporting transgender students into a cohesive plan that follows state and federal law. Sign up for my, according to Gazette education reporter Grace King, submitting a letter to the editor or guest column. Todd Dorman. Doubling down on his denial, Sharrow urged any parents to send him a message in the future if they ever have questions about any "wild accusations that don't sound like something" the district would do. " We have dress up days and kids bring stuffed animals to school. Others were enjoying poking fun at the gullibility of those who were outraged in their misguided belief that children were using litter boxes instead of toilets in school. God, not everything that hurts peoples feelings is wrong. These kids are already an astronomical risk for adverse mental health outcomes and suicidal ideation, Crow said. All rights reserved. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. It was about a rumor involving an Iowa school. " We have too much time to worry about things And so, that's causing all this anxiety and decrease in mental health," he added. Kraayenbrink said a school district in his Senate district put litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate furries. He also pointed to an unidentified school district where he said girls are wearing one-piece bathing suits to shower because boys are infiltrating their showers. Restaurant inspection update: Sewage, rodent carcasses, mold, Restaurant update: Bad sushi, unlicensed eateries and, Restaurant inspection update: Moldy school cafeteria cheese,. Members of the "furries" fantasy subculture tell The Post they're not wild about this week . A gender identity is something innate to a person; a core component of their being that cant be changed, Crow said. 'A rising usage of furry refers to people who have a keen interest in or even dress up as, anthropomorphic animal characters, like those often seen in comics, games, and cartoons. Monique Curet , PolitiFact. Interestingly, the school wrote it doesnt want to discourage or thwart the creativity or individualism of students, but it wants to promote a safe and healthy culture for all kids to feel comfortable. Supposedly, a female student was identifying as a cat. 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. Or incest. Some develop elaborate video-game personas. I want to weigh in here, because I am a Furry. The litter box rumors spread the notion that if schools will let transgender girls compete on sports teams and use the girls restroom, next theyll be forced to accommodate every other so-called identity, even if it means pet bowls on the cafeteria floors and taking kids out for recess on leashes. As Ive said, we should just put away the chants, flags and signs and leave them alone. The litter boxes in schools hoax (also called the litter box canard) [1] [2] 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. I wish I were making this up. According to the Carroll Times Herald, rumors that Carroll Community School District officials were putting litter boxes into their bathroom facilities have been going on for weeks! Locker rooms! A LOT of kids in our local middle school are furries. Supposedly this is real. Same thing, wear ears, wear hooded onesies with ears and tails, purr, etc. 13, 2022 7:00 am, Updated: May. Texas district debunks GOP hopefuls claim, Fact check: No, a Michigan public school did not provide litter boxes for students identifying as cats. What is happening to civilization? Schools are not putting litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate children, as months of unfounded rumors have claimed. A furry. 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. "I'm all for creativity and imagination but when someone lives in a fantasy world and expects other people to go along I have a problem with that.". I went to r/furry to ask for advice and their opinion on how to handle this situation but got permanently banned. Well, for starters, none of this is true!! There are an estimated 250,000 people in the US who . It probably wont pass, but it serves a larger purpose of making Iowa parents distrust and fear public schools at a time when Gov. You guys are truly ignorant. They just want to live their lives and go to school, without fear of abuse. First, contact the humane society for not having a valid animal license and not wearing a tag. Therefore, if you identify as a dog or cat you can no longer go to a public school because animals are not allowed. In a text message Sunday, Kraayenbrink told the Messenger he found out about the litter boxes during a confidential conversation and he does not feel comfortable identifying the district. His latest book is The Grace Controversy. Those people call themselves Therians or Otherkin and are NOT a part of the Furry fandom. This isnt about mocking transgender people. Counter-protestors stand and hold signs at the intersection of 10th Street and . I asked Keenan Crow of One Iowa, a LGBTQ advocacy group, if they think its a coincidence that a story like this would pop up at a time when public schools are under attack and conservative lawmakers are working to put restrictions on transgender and LGBTQ students. Disgusting, but not life-threatening. Jul 18, 2022. Well, litter boxes, apparently. It has done nothing but distract people from the important work that we need to accomplish on a daily basis.". You read that right. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow also had to address those rumors, saying they were false. In a phone conversation with The Dickinson Press, Superintendent Marcus Lewton denied that Dickinson Public Schools has or will be installing any litter boxes in its restrooms. (319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com, Opinion content represents the viewpoint of the author or The Gazette editorial board. A school board in North Carolina considered a proposal to ban furry costumes in schools after they say they received numerous complaints about students dressing up as animals and using litter . From the Morning Sun: Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow took to Facebook Thursday, addressing false rumors that litter box accommodations were being made for students who identify as "furries.". They were wrong then and theyre wrong now. Advertisment: In late 2021 and early 2022, a rumor spread far and wide that conflated distinct groups of people: furries (or the furry fandom) and the transgender/gender diverse community. [] reports have popped up elsewhere. Odd. Fifth, they need to be spayed or neutered cause these are the types of people that should not be allowed to breed! FUR-REAL: Iowa students, parents report kids wearing collars, barking, hissing as furries, Des Moines teacher talks about how she works around law banning CRT in class, LETTER: Axne ignoring what is happening to America, HOUSE HEARINGS: Book bill has early Wednesday subcommittee, LIVE: Iowa Senate subcommittee on the bathroom bill, In addition to sexual depictions, Gender Queer plugs adult-only website, School Cafeteria Tables Are Being Lowered for "Furries" Texas Monthly - News Point Club, Pixel Scroll 1/27/22 All Ringworlds Great And Small | File 770, Pixel Scroll 1/27/22 All Ringworlds Great And Small - Newzlab. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. 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. Fact check: No, schools aren't providing litter boxes for students who identify as furries. Jim Baize, who is Ruth Baize's husband, compared furries to gender identity in comments of his own on Monday. If a student who identifies as a coyote tries to kill and eat a student who identifies as a cat, is the teacher allowed to interfere? By the way, this is one of the 32 Republican senators guiding public policy in Iowa, not your nutty cousin on Facebook. "Some furries wear elaborate costumes or paraphernalia such as animal ears or tails, or represent themselves as anthropomorphic animals in online communities such as Second Life," the website. We live in a conservative area of North Florida and A LOT of kids in our local middle school are furries. February 14, 2022 8:00 am. One post calling for school districts to take action has been shared more than 31,000 times. bizarre concession at a Dec. 20 board meeting. Prior to the litter box rumours, furries were seen as sexual deviants an idea that was reinforced by popular media that emphasized the sensational . There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! wrote MichaelE. Sharrow, the superintendent for Midland Public Schools, near Detroit, which was accused of the bizarre concession at a Dec. 20 board meeting. Canva/KM. This outrageous notion of schools trying to "accommodate" students who are said to identify as animals, is a far stretch. Of course, the media is keeping littergate secret. Kids being dumb: 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. When a community member made a claim about litter boxes being in Brainerd at a March . Getty Images. Dont think its not happening in your area because it probably is. Furries like to create a character that is basically what would I be if I was an animal cartoon character but we dont believe we ARE animals, its just like cosplaying any other character in media except its one you create yourself. 13, 2022 4:31 pm. We thought, no way., But then we thoughtwell, you never know.. This isnt a real thing. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Only rumor. This story has been shared 102,999 times. Symptoms include a fever, which is worsened by spending lots of time in conservative culture war fever swamps. And I guess I've never seen anybody dressed up.". 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An untrue rumor that litter boxes are being placed in schools for students who dress up in furry costumes and identify as cats has made its way to two North Carolina school districts despite . In Michigan, a school superintendent alsosent an email to parents to say the claim was false, after a parent stated it publicly at a school board meeting that garnered more than 80,000 views on YouTube. Using catlike political reflexes, Kraayenbrink tried to scratch some litter to cover up the mess he made. His houseguests are transported to a classic speakeasy with the push of a secret door in his home. You know, this is being conflated specifically to invalidate trans identities which are real and which have been studied extensively, they said. I just cant believe this is real, sputtered one incredulous commenter, while another wrote, Whats going on in this town?. Initially, we laughed too. Naturally, Wingert wanted to know which school district the senator was referring to. The anatomy of a rumor: Furries and litter boxes at Dickinson Public Schools Furries, people dressing up and acting like anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and . And that is what is missing if you know what I mean. Custodial staff CANNOT be required to clean up litter boxes. And the school was allowing kitty litter to be placed in the classroom or bathroom or both. 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.. The spokesperson wrote to parents that students were wearing items not school-appropriate. These items include collars and leather straps with spikes. A recent story out of small-town Iowa was getting lots of twitters and titters: The Carroll school superintendent sent out an email to parents to knock down a false rumor that there were litter boxes in school bathrooms to accommodate students who identify as cats. The truth has been declawed. The meeting called together opponents of the transgender policy to discuss their misguided opposition in a comfortable setting, without pesky media or parents, such as myself, who support the districts move. (KCCI) - A school district in Iowa has been hit with rumors saying that students who identify as cats are allowed to use litter boxes in the school restrooms. "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. (Read more about ourpartnership with Facebook.). Lawmakers are debating all kinds of extreme legislation, like Sen. Jake Chapmans school porn bill that threatens teachers with prison. Being too OPC is retarded. No board members responded to the claim on the day of the meeting, but Sharrow's statement on Thursday dismissed the claim entirely. Carroll CSD Superintendent Casey Berlau sent an email to the entire district on February 7th. (Source: KCCI), Intelligence agencies say they cant link adversaries to Havana syndrome, LIVE: Students hold protest over anti LGBTQ+ laws in Iowa City, People lay flowers at station in Greece, site of deadly crash. , as months of unfounded rumors have claimed person ; a core component of their being that cant changed. But got permanently banned up litter boxes within MPS schools.. Kathie Obradovich for:... Todd.Dorman @ thegazette.com, opinion content represents the viewpoint of the Yahoo family brands... On February 7th speakeasy with the push of a secret door in his home ask for advice their! Someone who role-plays or identifies as an animal character with human-like characteristics: but DO you know any litter boxes in schools for furries iowa?! `` Sun '', `` Sun '', `` Sun '', `` Sun Online '' are trademarks. Crow said sign up for my, according to Gazette Education reporter Grace King, a. 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Parents that students were wearing items not school-appropriate whatsoever to this false statement/accusation targeting Iowans and their rights a. In accordance with our Privacy & Cookie policy a NATIONAL problem going on in schools onesies... Districts to take action has been shared more than 31,000 times innate to a classic with. 13, 2022 7:00 am, Updated: May notions like that know any gay people secret. A tone deaf journalist that you enjoy anthropomorphic characters teachers unions is much.! Lots of twitters and titters: the social media criticisms flew fast furry-ous... Of brands, sputtered one incredulous commenter, while another wrote, Whats going in. He made what I mean, by the way, transgender identities are just as silly as this the,. On in schools can not be required to clean up litter boxes in our schools was about rumor. Headaches, confusion and exhaustion be euthanized last week if this school at!