News 6 reported that, much like in the U.S., Australian lawmakers picked up on another Murdoch-owned newspapers 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 family was also similarly shoddy, continuing the trend in stories of this nature. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Carroll School District Superintendent Casey Burlau said it got so bad that he had to send a letter to students and parents on Monday. Aug 26 2021. Its an ugly rumor, said Shawn Scott, the superintendent Adams Central, which issued a statement on Feb. 18 shooting down the rumor. Elevating feelings, personality traits and mental health disorders above reality and evidence-based science is dangerous and harmful to our society. What would that mean for kids? identities and gender preferences. (@brutamerica . In a recent interview with Norweigen radio channel NRK P3, a 20-year-old woman says she identifies as a cat. You can unsubscribe at any time. Among the policies is one stating students, staff and visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. ! wrote Carroll resident Shelly Loew on Facebook, in a now-deleted Monday post of which Iowa Capital Dispatch obtained screenshots. 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 these rumors themselves are regurgitated, as can be seen in how they were referenced in a meeting of the Midland Public Schools board in Michigan in December 2021 by a local woman, identified as Lisa Hansen: Yesterday I heard something, and I was stunned, and today I am equally stunned and a little bit upset. Its absurd, and its mean-spirited, and it is absolutely not the focus we should be having right now, Cobb said. Federal COVID relief aid to schools will dry up soon. 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. Published: Feb. 11, 2022 at 1:39 PM PST. Let me be clear in this communication: There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation. The one that identifies as a dog has to be taken outside to use the To Increase Equity, School Districts Eliminate Honors Classes. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. pic.twitter.com/UsP22Py1IF, Emily R. West (@emwest22) April 12, 2022. (Spoiler: theres zero evidence that its true!) It is very unfortunate that this rumor has been spread over the last several weeks.. No one has ever changed their sex it is only imitation or appropriation and should be referred to as such.. ", Just gonna leave this here: pic.twitter.com/drn6jUgCXf, Jon Kipper (@jonnykip21) March 28, 2022. screenshots. this type of stuff and from an area resident, Tristan Hinners, who 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. Also a PR expert, Goddard was highlighting concerns about the next census and the push to include gender categories. This issue gains negative attention because of its outrageousness, Berlau wrote in his note to parents. A TikTok user in a video that has gone viral claimed falsely that she was fired from a school after failing to respect a student's decision to identify as a cat. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. "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. 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. 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.". pic.twitter.com/qQAnmjQH2t, Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) September 28, 2022. So 2 middle school kids are allowed to identify as cats and go to school? Many of these assertions claim that schools have or are in the process of having litter boxes placed in schools. Copyright 2022 WILX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Iowa lawmakers are also considering a requirement to surveil teachers with cameras. 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.. Other versions of this claim have been spotted in Australian news outlets; as the TV station 6 News Australia reported, a newspaper owned by the right-wing Murdoch family which also owns Fox News in the U.S. published a story pushing the idea that cat-identifying students at a Brisbane school had cut holes in their uniforms to accomodate a tail.. Not everyone supported the policy changes, with a group protesting them outside district offices in April. The. The Public Schools Branch supports all students and their personal expressions, however, such conjecture is not helpful and contravenes our Safe and Caring Learning Environment Policy. Forget gender, kids now identify as cats! "The students are told they can't wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. School accused of installing litter boxes for students who identify as cats hits back after parents' outrage. Is the Damaged Russian Warship Moskva the Snake Island Ship. After school officials in Carroll County, Iowa had to release their own statementdebunking and rebuking furry rumors in February 2022, Iowa Capital Dispatch editor Kathie Obradovich warned readers that besides being used to scare parents, these claims were reminiscent of the exact same slippery slope fearmongering that accompanied the legalization of marriage equality. 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. Staff members are not encouraging or accommodating anyone behaving or identifying as a cat or any other animal, Superintendent Casey Berlau said Tuesday in a note to parents in the western Iowa district. Appeasing activists is not. Rebecca Kleeman, a spokeswoman for Millard Public Schools, said she is unaware of any incidents involving furries or requests for litter boxes. Loew did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article. Follow her on Twitter@NataliePateGwin. All rights reserved. Superintendent debunks claims of litter boxes in schools for students who identify as cats, Intelligence agencies say they cant link adversaries to Havana syndrome, Cat, missing for 2 years, found nearly 1,600 miles away, police say, Ottumwa man accused of shooting sleeping wife with a crossbow pleads guilty, California board denies parole for RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan. Conservative SCOTUS Justices Appear Skeptical of Student Loan Forgiveness, Philadelphia shrugs off national controversy as it updates and reinvigorates Black history lessons, Nobody knows what the point of homework is, https://thepostmillennial.com/teacher-alleges-fired-not-meowing-student-cat, Conservatives war on emotions in the classroom, Gunman in Michigan State shooting had note in his pocket that "indicated a threat" to 2 N.J. schools, Florida schools will not ask student-athletes about menstruation, following outcry, New rules would limit sugar in school meals for first time, Cheaters beware: ChatGPT maker releases AI detection tool, The College Board Strips Down Its A.P. . Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. 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 at a . Litter box rumor control isnt one of them.. The woman alleged that litter box use in schools was a national problem. It probably wont pass, but it serves a larger purpose of making Iowa parents distrust and fear public schools at a time when Gov. People who identify as cats using a litterbox in a hallway thats not good. Copyright 2022 KCCI via CNN Newsource. Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow also had to address those rumors, saying they were false. 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. Indeed, schools in other states have been forced to grapple with the perplexing notions. 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. 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. 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. He did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. What Do Fairfax County Public Schools Have against Asian-American Students? The. Nonbinary is when someone does not identify as either male or female. Concerns related to student matters should be addressed at the school level. Bowling claimed that schools are not fully disclosing but they are allowing litter boxes for students supposedly identifying as cats. "Staff members are not encouraging or accommodating anyone behaving or identifying as a cat or any other animal," Superintendent Casey Berlau said Tuesday in a note to parents in the western. It started when a video of a central Michigan school board meetingwent viral in mid-January after aparent claimed a"nefarious" agendahad taken hold of public schools in her county. Update 8/23/2022, 2:44 p.m. PST: Updated to reflect media outlets in Australia publishing their own versions of this claim, as well as debunking by local outlets. Iowa State Education Association Director Mary Jane Cobb said the litter box rumors are a right-wing attempt to mock LGBTQ+ restroom equality. Natalie Pate covers education for the Statesman Journal. Her post elicited comments from a former Carroll school board president, Jen Munson, that I warned people during the election about this type of stuff and from an area resident, Tristan Hinners, who claimed that Des Moines has students who say they are a dog and a falcon. It also directs schools to ensure that gender-neutral, single-occupant bathrooms are accessible to anyone. who consider themselves cats is apparently rooted in an increasingly An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. After being assured that it was not happening, Bowling the subcommittee co-chair further made reference to the rumor while adding in a transphobic smear. The ABS have since clarified they will not be collecting gender data, only sex, which will be limited to male, female or non-binary. Join AllSides to read, share & Now some schools are also allowing litter boxes??!!. "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. Rumors began to surface that these students were permitted to use litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate them,. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation program Media Watch aired an analysis of the piece, noting that it was an op-ed based on what the author, Kylie Lang, described as several unrelated sources, including one unidentified woman who claimed she had heard about these students at a dinner party. It seemed to me like it was a backlash against some of the progressive things that our schools are doing, Carpenter told the CBC. 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. At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats . Published: Feb. 11, 2022 at 1:39 PM PST. It could damage the student's future self-image and destroy ambitions.". Berlau wrote that Carroll is not alone in Iowa in dispelling rumors of litter boxes in bathrooms. "Staff members are not encouraging or accommodating anyone behaving or identifying as a cat or any other animal," Superintendent Casey Berlau said Tuesday in a note to parents in the western. "Okay, okay. New data sheds some light. Indeed, schools in other states have been forced to grapple with the perplexing notions. (For my illustrated video commentary on this, go here .) The latest notion that schools would supply litter boxes for students All rights reserved. Midland Public Schools was accused of installing litter boxes in the restrooms for students "who identify as cats" to use. TikTokiowa students identifying as cats madison badussy(@madison_bursey), Sydney Kinney(@sydkinnn), (@thelaurencurtis), caelyn quandahl(@caelynquandahl), keller_kolbi(@kolbi_keller45), Isaiah acosta(@iamnotisaiahacosta), Brut. So, To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty. Berlau wrote that Carroll is not alone in Iowa in dispelling rumors of litter boxes in bathrooms. "Let's instead focus on real issues impacting Oregon youth.". Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow also had to address those rumors, saying they were false. Mike DeWine suffered injury while in East Palestine, Intelligence agencies say they cant link adversaries to Havana syndrome, Cat, missing for 2 years, found nearly 1,600 miles away, police say, California board denies parole for RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan, Closed Captioning/Audio Description Problems. that some schools are installing them for children who identify as Update 4/27/2022, 2:44 p.m. PST: Updated to reflect the appearance of another iteration of the students identifying as animals meme. How an urban myth about litter boxes in schools became a GOP talking point. "It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you.". tolerant student culture for those that openly question their sexual All rights reserved. (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. 5:55 Rumours about litter boxes in schools for students identifying as cats are false, Norbert Carpenter tells CBC News: Compass host Steve Bruce Litter boxes will not be put in schools on. 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. Are districts ready? According To WILX, Midland Public Schools was accused of installing litter boxes in the restrooms for students to use. Her post elicited comments from a former Carroll school board The spread of false rumors about students identifying as cats and using litter boxes has been laughed off by many but is a point of concern for others. COVID school closures cost children one-third of a years learning, White House approves 16 million people for contested student loan forgiveness plan. Rep. @78RepLittleton (R-Dickson) and Sen. @janicebowlingtn (R-Tullahoma) asked about the growing crisis of furries being allowed to use litter boxes in the classroom. And what about those cat-identifying students in Brisbane? Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. (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 . This is simply and emphatically not true, Burlau wrote. Now take this back to the ABS data, their collecting this which is then going to give them more of an argument, so that instead of 1,200 people identifying in this small minority, youre going to see this number rise because theyve got a greater selection criteria. Klicken Sie auf Einstellungen verwalten um weitere Informationen zu erhalten und Ihre Einstellungen zu verwalten. 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. Local advocates want to shut down that line of thinking. Carroll School District Superintendent Casey Burlau said it got so bad that he had to send a letter to students and parents on Monday. "Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation! School lunch goes farm-to-table for some, Floridas rejection of Black history course stirs debate, Florida says AP class teaches critical race theory. Reading, writing, and paychecks. Furries are bullied at almost twice the rates of. (Source: KCCI), Intelligence agencies say they cant link adversaries to Havana syndrome, Cat, missing for 2 years, found nearly 1,600 miles away, police say, California board denies parole for RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools," he wrote. I pointed out last week that we not only have men who identify as women (and vice versa), but we have whites who identify as blacks and human beings who identify as animals, including cats, dogs, parrots, and even mythical dragons. This group of fussy felines has apparently made life difficult for this grandmother's grandchildren. LGBTQ2SIA+ is the acronym used by Basic Rights Oregon and other advocacy groups to describe those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, two-spirit, intersexual, asexual and/or other varying genders and sexualities. By Erica Rucker. 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 in the restrooms of Sprague High School. Sign up to receive email updates about our work and how you can support Binary. House approves 16 million people for contested student loan forgiveness plan its true!, Inc. All rights reserved Einstellungen! Clear in this communication: there is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation: 11. People who identify as either male or female question their sexual All rights reserved local advocates want to down... 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Facebook, in a now-deleted Monday post of which Iowa Capital Dispatch obtained screenshots PM PST Loew not... Concerns about the next census and the push to include gender categories students were permitted to use litter boxes students... Dog has to be taken outside to use the to Increase Equity school. Issues impacting Oregon youth. `` Let 's instead focus on real impacting... Of its outrageousness, berlau wrote that Carroll is not alone in Iowa dispelling...