So 2 middle school kids are allowed to identify as cats (Source: KCCI), Melt Bar & Grilled closes 2 Ohio locations, Ohio Gov. Some who have believed the false rumors continue to cite them as an example of school districts going too far with so-called identity politics, drawing a connection between the litter box claims to schools allowing transgender students to use the restroom of their choice. "Sadly, the spread of hateful disinformation targeting queer and trans folks is nothing new, and these tactics make our schools and communities less safe," they said. bathroom by a teacher.., she wrote, and the falcon screeches up and The rumor is that our schools have litter boxes in the restrooms to accommodate individuals who are self-identifying as animals. down the hallways., Phil Roeder, a spokesperson for Des Moines Public Schools, is aware Just when I thought school couldn't get any weirder, it did today.". The rumor is that our schools have litter boxes in the restrooms to accommodate individuals who are self-identifying as animals. MIDLAND, Mich. (WILX/Gray News) A superintendent in Michigan is trying to clear up any misconceptions or rumors about a conspiracy theory regarding students who identify as cats.. He said the costumes violate the school dress code: ", "It implies to the student that this type of behavior is completely acceptable and normal," they wrote in the complaint to Salem-Keizer. Manage Settings 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. Click here to download. The same story has popped up at a few school districts across the country, starting with Midland Public Schools in Michigan in December after a parent brought up concerns about litter boxes in restrooms at a school board meeting. (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. 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. (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 . At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats . Transgender people still face barriers to competent health care. This is simply and emphatically not true, Burlau wrote. In a recent interview with Norweigen radio channel NRK P3, a 20-year-old woman says she identifies as a cat. And um, I am really disturbed by that.. arguments have been used throughout history, such as comparing interracial and homosexual relationships to bestiality and pedophilia. This claim as well as many others are simply false and are causing unnecessary stress to students and staff. that some schools are installing them for children who identify as Indeed, schools in other states have been forced to grapple with the perplexing notions. Yet it seems the rumor has reached Oregon, with recent gossip asserting Salem-Keizer Public Schools officials approved a student's request to self-identify as a cat and allowed litter boxes. Tennessee is talking about rejecting federal education funding. As is often the case with right-wing disinformation, Holladays outburst was not unique in either concept or outcome; he published his post less than a month after a Nebraska lawmaker, state Sen. Bruce Bostelman, vowed to colleagues to investigate wanting to put litter boxes in the schools for students who were barking and meowing during school hours: A floor speech from Nebraska State Senator Bruce Bostelman that "is about something called furries. Not everyone supported the policy changes, with a group protesting them outside district offices in April. Loew did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article. pic.twitter.com/UsP22Py1IF, Emily R. West (@emwest22) April 12, 2022. So, To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty. Reporting from USA Today contributed to this story. He did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article. Litter box rumor control isnt one of them.. In a recent example, reporter Emily R. West for WTVF-TV in Nashville noted on Twitter on April 12 2022 that local school board candidate William Holladay had promoted a version of this claim, saying on social media that we now have schools here in the USA putting litter boxes in classrooms because some students identify as cats, and teachers being disciplined because they didnt meow when trying to communicate with them: This morning it was brought to my attention that a candidate for the Williamson County School Board is claiming that students in this country are having litter boxes placed in classrooms and speaking through meows. identities and gender preferences. It seemed to me like it was a backlash against some of the progressive things that our schools are doing, Carpenter told the CBC. Carroll School District. The parent goes on to suggest this is part of a larger "agenda" nationwide. The Nebraska Examiner further reported that both Bostelman and another state senator, Steve Halloran, had been fed rumors about student furries, prompting a quick debunking from educators: This is ridiculous, said Dr. Josh Fields, the superintendent of the Seward Public Schools. Superintendent denies rumors of litter boxes in restrooms for students who identify as cats, Carroll School District Superintendent Casey Burlau denied the litter box rumors in a letter to students and parents. A woman who was working as a substitute teacher posted a video to social media alleging she was fired by school officials for not "identifying with" a student who "identifies as a cat" after she refused to meow back at the child in class. The one that identifies as a dog has to be taken outside to use the bathroom by a teacher.., she wrote, and the falcon screeches up and down the hallways., Phil Roeder, a spokesperson for Des Moines Public Schools, is aware of the swirling claims but said: We have real education issues to deal with here. And what about those cat-identifying students in Brisbane? Update 9/29/2022, 2:44 p.m. PST: Updated to reflect remarks by Tennessee state Sen. Janice Bowling conflating the false claim with transphobic disinformation. Whats a teacher worth? Cisgender refers to individuals who identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. Aug 26 2021. But it is important to recognize that the claim comes from a place of deep fear-mongering about creating LGBTQ2SIA+ inclusive spaces in our schools.". This is simply and emphatically not true, Burlau wrote. CARROLL, Iowa The Carroll Community School District recently had to put an end to a rumor that it had placed litter box in bathrooms to accommodate student who identify as animals. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools," he wrote. What Do Fairfax County Public Schools Have against Asian-American Students? Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. The one that identifies as a dog has to be taken outside to use the If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. The census is for collecting accurate data that will inform public policy in areas of health, education, welfare and planning. News 6 reported that, much like in the U.S., Australian lawmakers picked up on another Murdoch-owned newspaper's claim that an eighth-grade private school student in Melbourne "identifies as a cat, and as long as she does her school work, the school is supporting her assumed identity": The sourcing for this claim "a source close the . It probably wont pass, but it serves a larger purpose of making Iowa parents distrust and fear public schools at a time when Gov. "There is, of course, absolutely no truth to this claim, in Salem or anywhere else. Midland Superintendent Michael Sharrowrejected the claim outright in an email sent Jan. 20 to parents, staff and community members. Copyright 2022 KCCI via CNN Newsource. (Spoiler: theres zero evidence that its true!) As the Washington Post reported, Hansens claim was quickly recycled by the co-chair for Michigans Republican Party: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported on similar allegations as far back as October 2021. I heard that at least one of our schools in our town has a, in one of the unisex bathrooms, a litter box for the kids that identify as cats. or identifying as a cat or any other animal, Superintendent Casey -ag. Curriculum for African American Studies, No more nuggets? I would hope that you continue to hold to rigorous health standards so that boys are not going into boys bathrooms and seeing a girl sitting on the urinal, she added. In Michigan, a school superintendent also sent an email to parents to say the claim was false, after a parent stated it. The. Wow. boxes??!!. I am really disturbed by that.. Rumors began to surface that these students were permitted to use litter boxes in bathrooms to. Journalist Leisa Goddard has told Sky News program Hardgrave that she has evidence of some high school students identifying as cats. Well, like The Courier-Mail, we have been unable to find any. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. screenshots. Its absurd, and its mean-spirited, and it is absolutely not the focus we should be having right now, Cobb said. "It could lead to a life of pornography addiction and deviant behavior. According to the U.S. Trans Survey, conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality, a third of trans people have faced discrimination from a health care provider. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Back to school: Oregon trans student's advice to LGBTQ youth. Iowa State Education Association Director Mary Jane Cobb said the litter box rumors are a right-wing attempt to mock LGBTQ+ restroom equality. Clark's buzzer-beating three sends #6 Iowa past #2 Indiana 86-85. 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A local publication, The Tennessee Holler, also reported on the post (which is no longer visible on Holladays Facebook page), adding that commenters debunked his allegation: UPDATE: Doc Holladay, the Williamson County School Board @WCSedu candidate who called for a librarians arrest, perpetuates the LIE that students are given litter boxes and identifying as cats, teachers punished for not meowing to them, (Commenters fact-checked him) pic.twitter.com/EqI1TECfqR, The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) April 12, 2022. Forget gender, kids now identify as cats! Opponents said they believed the main purpose of the book was "to promote various agendas" related to the LGBTQ community in an attempt to "make it more acceptable in the mainstream. "Restroom facilities are available at all district facilities in compliance with state law," she added. This whole furry thing has just got me. (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 . Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. Durch Klicken auf Alle akzeptieren erklren Sie sich damit einverstanden, dass Yahoo und unsere Partner Ihre personenbezogenen Daten verarbeiten und Technologien wie Cookies nutzen, um personalisierte Anzeigen und Inhalte zu zeigen, zur Messung von Anzeigen und Inhalten, um mehr ber die Zielgruppe zu erfahren sowie fr die Entwicklung von Produkten. His note came amid a heightened scrutiny of schools across the nation, where curriculum about race is being questioned and the recommendations of certain books might lead to criminal prosecution. ! wrote Carroll resident Shelly Loew on Facebook, in a now-deleted Monday post of which Iowa Capital Dispatch obtained screenshots. Media Watch host Paul Barry also pointed out that Lang herself wrote that the school had not been made aware of any students identifying as cats. The proposal triggered an outcry from conservative commenters who argued that the broader gender descriptors would make the information collected by the ABS less accurate, and in turn lead to poorer decision making by government. Somehow, it always comes back to money.. To Increase Equity, School Districts Eliminate Honors Classes. A hair-raising group of youth are apparently terrorizing a Meade County high school. a now-deleted Monday post of which Iowa Capital Dispatch obtained TikTokiowa students identifying as cats madison badussy(@madison_bursey), Sydney Kinney(@sydkinnn), (@thelaurencurtis), caelyn quandahl(@caelynquandahl), keller_kolbi(@kolbi_keller45), Isaiah acosta(@iamnotisaiahacosta), Brut. Making accommodations for students who identify with the gender assigned to them at.! 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