"This is a young lady who is exceptional (sic) bright, her family petitioned the school board for right to 'identify as a cat," reads part of a Sept. 23 Facebook post featuring the images. 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. The school district called that blogs story completely inaccurate and not something it would permit. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. Local advocates want to shut down that line of thinking. Go to the fifth roweverybodys there. 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. However, a spokesperson for Aberdeenshire Council told The National: There are no cats and no pupils identifying as cats at Banff Academy.. Skibbereen Community College bosses said they contacted authorities over crazy claims. "They identify with animals. You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Whos doing it? And this little girl in the very front row says, You have to meow back at him; he identifies as a cat. Are you kidding me?, The student stormed out of the classroom when she laughed at him, she said, and the schools administration fired her: They said We no longer need your services if you cant identify with all the children in the classroom.'. At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats. 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. We should all be sympathetic to these people, which is why we should not enable any of their delusions. There are websites that claim there is a catgender movement, but that is a different thing. U/D Providence: **Shots Fired** 41 & 43 Ridgeway Ave. shots fired into two homes. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. She declined to connect NBC News with any parents or teachers shes spoken with. As he stated in his message, the board meeting took place on Dec. 20, 2021, and did not circulate widely until mid-January. 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). 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. Under a new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to be used. Regarding the Norwegian woman, that one startled me as I have a cat named Nano. 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. Fact check: False claim about Boston Children's Hospital's transgender care program. But there's no truth to the rumor there's a litter box in unisex . The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter. Alternatively have them DNA tested. 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. Don't pay your auto insurance bill until you read this. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. 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. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to "There is, of course, absolutely no truth to this claim, in Salem or anywhere else. since when do cats attend public school? students identifying as cats Sir David Cattenboroughs Newest Documentary Reveals The Elusive Silver-FurredBuddy, Check Out This Beautiful Gallery Of Larry The Cat, PLUS: A New Game Features A FuriousFeline, Cat With Gang Tattoos Rescued From Mexican Prison, Up ForAdoption, Buddy Scores 47 In Knicks Route OfCeltics. And um, I am really disturbed by that., Furry is an evolving word once exclusively used as an adjective meaning consisting of fur, according to Merriam-Webster, but now can be used to describe people who have a keen interest in, or even dress up as, anthropomorphic animal characters, like those often seen in comics, games and cartoons.. Under a new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to be used. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. I dont understand why these kids are acting so un-human and not happy with themselves, she said. The wave of misinformation reflects discontent among many conservatives around how the concepts and politics of gender identity are rapidly shifting. "Furries" roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. Since then, however, it has spread to numerous US states and now to Scotland. Psychologists say furries arent the deviants theyre sometimes represented to be. 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 2022. You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. students identifying as cats. TikTok False: The claim is. No, schools do not have litter boxes for students, Complaint filed against Pennsylvania school district alleges discrimination against LGBTQ students, alongside other extreme and baseless rhetoric, Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group, Surveys and pre-publication research from Furscience also indicate. Its a lot easier to weather calls for cancellation when youve been around for 20 years, youve made billions for your parent company and you have a contract that keeps you on TV for years yet. Accessed 5 Apr. An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a small town in their state identified as cats. 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. 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. Follow, Investigative Radio host/ On-Scene Facebook Live stream. An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a small town identified as cats. '"The grandmother said a petition to end the practice was created by students and has more than 1,000 signatures. In general, "furries" are people who adopt and identify with an anthropomorphized animal persona, often within online or local communities of other furries, says Furscience, the public face of a team of researchers who study the subculture. 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. 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. Sen. Bruce Bostleman would later apologize for falsely claiming that students were meowing, identifying as cats, and going to the bathroom in litter boxes. 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. Rumors began to surface that these students were permitted to use litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate them, but the districts superintendent debunked such stories. Thank you for supporting our journalism. Across the country, from New York to Iowa and Texas, the same rumor swept through districts this spring. Hansen noted the rumor warranted "more investigation" and did not make a claim about who had installed the litter boxes. Any cats involved? Olivia, 16, from California, said shes been part of the furry community for six years. "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. 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. Kymera, 14, of Colorado, said being a furry is just a hobby, akin to being a mascot. 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. 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. Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claimthat a Michigan school put litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identify as cats. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. NBC News agreed to keep their last names private due to their fear of harassment. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. It doesnt make sense," she added. 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 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. Its only used to kind of sensationalize untruth, and to harm our community, in particular our transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive youth, said Nadine Bridges, executive director of One Colorado, an LGBTQ rights organization, when asked about the litter box rumors. 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. 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. Many parents and teachers have confided in me privately about the madness thats happening pertaining to this trend, Lauf told NBC News in an email. Why would you attack our most vulnerable to get your point across, especially since the point is baseless?. "I was hearing rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school this year. This is what we're doing now in 2022. Will Democrats and Big Tech ever apologize? The photos show a young woman wearing costume cat ears. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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 ! 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. A video of a central Michigan school board meeting. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. "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. 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. The superintendent at the school in Kentucky told WLWT the students violated the dress code, and that the administration had addressed the situation. She covers misinformation, extremism and the internet. Sorry, no feline accomadations in the school. At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats. 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. do koalas have poisonous claws. 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. How they identify and what pronouns to be used rapidly shifting due to fear. Said in a statement that its students were demonstrating a range of from. 860,000 video views on Twitter policy, students may inform schools of how they and... Host/ On-Scene Facebook Live stream fill in your details below or click an icon to in. Views on Twitter in 2022 to your email inbox Network, LLC our... 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