Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. The Carroll Community School District Superintendent, Casey Burlau, sent a letter to concerned citizens in the hopes of "dispelling a damaging rumor" that there are children identifying as animals (some call them "furries") and the district has tried to accommodate them with litter boxes. These kids are already an astronomical risk for adverse mental health outcomes and suicidal ideation, Crow said. litter boxes in schools for furries maine. The flurries of furries has reached North Dakota, with some school districts in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo issuing statements to debunk the kitty litter rumors, as detailed in a Forum article . Only rumor. 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Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. We rely on the financial support of our readers to exist. Copyright 2022 KCCI via CNN Newsource. Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Somehow, it always comes back to money. If they are not claimed within 72 hours, they need to be euthanized. Rumors have now begun circulating in Dickinson and other Western Edge communities that have sparked more than one phone call to The Dickinson Press with questions on whether the school district has, or will be, installing litter boxes in its restrooms. No wonder the kids are not learning! You can also support us on PayPal at. We will need to lock them up and feed them the same food other cats and dogs are fed. 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. A SCHOOL in Michigan has bizarrely been accused by outraged parents of installing litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identify as cats and dogs. Remember how rightward marching culture crusaders said same-sex marriage would destroy society and bring on scary stuff such as rampant polygamy? School litter box fever will not die in Iowa. Public school districts have already proven they lack transparency and are willing to tolerate any abhorrent behavior. Carroll School District Superintendent Casey Burlau said it got so bad that he had to send a letter to students and parents on Monday. Its a slippery slope covered with culture war slime. Symptoms include a fever, which is worsened by spending lots of time in conservative culture war fever swamps. In Wisconsin, several school districts debunked the claim, the APreported. Thats why Iowa Capital Dispatch, a nonprofit, independent source for quality journalism, is working every day to keep you informed about what government officials are doing with your money, your freedom and your safety. Theyre identifying as animals. 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. The thing is, these things are happening in Iowa on a regular basis and nobody knows about it, because the media doesnt cover these things.. In 2021 and 2022, various American conservative and far-right politicians and . If youve ever used the phrase Fake News now YOU can actually DO something about it! Texas district debunks GOP hopefuls claim, Fact check: No, a Michigan public school did not provide litter boxes for students identifying as cats. Thanks for contacting us. The rumor has been spreading persistently, but was unfounded each time: An Iowa superintendentsent a letterto parents to dispel the myth. litter boxes in schools for furries maine. Well, litter boxes, apparently. 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. 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 . Please consider a one-time sign of support or becoming a monthly supporter at $5, $10/month - whatever you think we're worth! Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. 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 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. "Kids who identify as 'furries' get a litter box in the school bathroom. The Meade School District will not be putting litter boxes in district schools, the superintendent said. You know, this is being conflated specifically to invalidate trans identities which are real and which have been studied extensively, they said. This is saying that kids who; Identify as cats, meow in class, and demand litter-boxes in the bathrooms, arent normal. There are an estimated 250,000 people in the US who . In NY state, a baby can be aborted at birth, but it is illegal, no joke, to declaw a cat. Or speak. "I will do some more investigation," she added. Counter-protestors stand and hold signs at the intersection of 10th Street and . Fact check: No, schools aren't providing litter boxes for students who identify as furries. "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.". Ernie Kersten had been at the Eggs and Issues legislative forum in Fort Dodge, where state Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, went on a curious riff about why Iowa needs to offer publicly funded scholarships to help families send kids to private school. 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. Using catlike political reflexes, Kraayenbrink tried to scratch some litter to cover up the mess he made. Caption: Rumors are going around in . ", The post was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. 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. 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 . 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. 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 . Youre literally following a rumor mill. They're not super realistic outfits, so they mostly look like the kind of suit a mascot would wear. 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. (Photo by pixelfit/Getty Images). 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. 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 . His houseguests are transported to a classic speakeasy with the push of a secret door in his home. I will make contact with the local Humane Society so we can get a vehicle out there to get these unlicensed, unvaccined animals into the local pound. 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.. It all started with one Michigan school board meeting where a parent went on a strange rant after she "discovered" that her school is putting litter boxes in bathrooms. 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. " We have too much time to worry about things And so, that's causing all this anxiety and decrease in mental health," he added. When Can You Get Your License If Your Birthday Is On A Leap Day? 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. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 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? Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow also had to address those rumors, saying they were false. Its like the slippery-slope arguments that we heard back when Iowa legalized same-sex marriage: If we allow this, next well have to condone marriages involving pedophilia. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. 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, added Hansen, who defined furry as someone who identifies as a cat or a dog, whatever.. While there are no chickens in this tiny house, you can still have some fun in this cozy space in Fayette. As Ive said, we should just put away the chants, flags and signs and leave them alone. Go to the bathroom in a toilet and flush. I received an email last Saturday morning from a guy I know in Fort Dodge dating back to my time at the Fort Dodge Messenger. It isnt how I pictured civilisations collapse. Stop pretending that everything you hear is an attack of some sort. 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. CARROLL, Iowa - Rumors are going around in one Iowa town that the school district is allowing students who identify as animals to use litter boxes in bathrooms. 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 . Dont think its not happening in your area because it probably is. Some furries even only answer questions with animal sounds. No board members responded to the claim on the day of the meeting, but Sharrow's statement on Thursday dismissed the claim entirely. I am currently in school to be a teacher and asked my professors their opinions on the topic and many of . Bostelman made the comments during a debate over a bill, introduced by Gretna Sen. Jen Day, that would require schools to have "points of contact" for students with behavioral health issues, You read that right. Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. I agree, this starts at home with good healthy parenting. As . This is about stupidity not transphobia. Kim Reynolds and some GOP lawmakers are trying again to funnel a significant share of education dollars to private and religious schools. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. 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. Taylor, doesnt your school have acting, dance, music, and art classes where you can express yourselves? 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. And lots of people of all ages actually do engage in fantasy role-playing as entertainment. 27 febrero, 2023 . Crow laughed. Once you see through this political cat-and-mouse game, the litter box story just seems doggone sad. In Iowa, an unsourced, anonymous reportclaimed that school boards were considering placing litter boxes in the bathrooms, while a Canadian public school director took to the mediato connect similar rumors in his []. Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. I think we need some intervention on these kids and parents. 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. Lawmakers are debating all kinds of extreme legislation, like Sen. Jake Chapmans school porn bill that threatens teachers with prison. Schools are not putting litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate children, as months of unfounded rumors have claimed. This is definitely going on in schools. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. Some develop elaborate video-game personas. "Not making them participate. She also claimed that the nefarious practice was part of a nationwide agenda being pushed within the education system. Some go to conventions dressed as their favorite superheroes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There is nothing safe and healthy about this. 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. Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] - A hearing of a Tennessee Legislature Committee has surpassed thousands of views online, where two state lawmakers report that their constituents say that there are children in Tennessee identifying as "furries" being allowed to use the restroom in litter boxes at school. Its not make-believe or fantasy. In 2018 a blog for school counselors published a post entitled . 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 . Im just sayin. 0. No, furries don't get litter boxes in school bathrooms | Is This Legit? Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming "kids are now requesting litter boxes at school" collected 3 million views on the platform. A number of politicians, including U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), have propagated similar claims as well. This story has been shared 125,674 times. A recent story out of small-town Iowa was getting lots of twitters and titters: The Carroll school superintendent . Being too OPC is retarded. Nati Harnik AP. Of course, the media is keeping littergate secret. You will begin to receive our Daily Opinion updates and our topical Pints & Politics newsletter. Fargo, Moorhead and West . Or incest. 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. You can also support us on PayPal at. And despite the best efforts of the reality-based community to find a cure, the condition continues to spread. 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. 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. 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. Period. "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.". Supposedly, a female student was identifying as a cat. Naturally, Wingert wanted to know which school district the senator was referring to. "Kids who identify as 'furries' get a litter box in the school bathroom," Ms. Maddock wrote in a Facebook post sharing the video of the board meeting. Debunking myths about kids identifying as animals, and litter boxes in schools Published: November 7, 2022 4.32pm EST Sharon E. Roberts , University of Waterloo Todd Dorman. By the way, this is one of the 32 Republican senators guiding public policy in Iowa, not your nutty cousin on Facebook. The Iowa Standard has heard from a handful of parents across the state concerned about students identifying as "furries" at various schools throughout the state. Is your school pushing transgender and they dont wanna be, so theyd rather be a cat? It probably wont pass, but it serves a larger purpose of making Iowa parents distrust and fear public schools at a time when Gov. Parent heroes will TAKE BACK our schools," Maddock wrote. But the other girl wanted to one up everyone, and decided she was really a demon instead. 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