falcon. Aug 26 2021. cats. According To WILX, Midland Public Schools was accused of installing litter boxes in the restrooms for students to use. So 2 middle school kids are allowed to identify as cats and go to school? and go to school? The ABS had made a recommendation that a greater number of gender descriptors to be provided in the next census. Iowa State Education Association Director Mary Jane Cobb said the litter box rumors are a right-wing attempt to mock LGBTQ+ restroom equality. 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. bathroom by a teacher.., she wrote, and the falcon screeches up and Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow also had to address those rumors, saying they were false. LOUISVILLE, Ky. 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 rumor is that our schools have litter boxes in the restrooms to accommodate individuals who are self-identifying as animals. All rights reserved. Also a PR expert, Goddard was highlighting concerns about the next census and the push to include gender categories. 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. It probably wont pass, but it serves a larger purpose of making Iowa parents distrust and fear public schools at a time when Gov. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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.. It doesn't make sense," she added. 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. There are no litter boxes in the restrooms of the Carroll Community School District, its superintendent stressed, despite internet rumors that some schools are installing them for children who identify as cats. (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 . Carroll School District. He said the costumes violate the school dress code: The one that identifies as a dog has to be taken outside to use the I can give you an example of a school where you have got students there in a high school who, forget the I identify as a they or my pronouns are going to be different fine. "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. 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Staff members are not encouraging or accommodating anyone behaving "The students are told they can't wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. 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 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. 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. 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. Its absurd, and its mean-spirited, and it is absolutely not the focus we should be having right now, Cobb said. Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. 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. president, Jen Munson, that I warned people during the election about And um, I am really disturbed by that.. At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats . . this type of stuff and from an area resident, Tristan Hinners, who TikTokiowa students identifying as cats madison badussy(@madison_bursey), Sydney Kinney(@sydkinnn), (@thelaurencurtis), caelyn quandahl(@caelynquandahl), keller_kolbi(@kolbi_keller45), Isaiah acosta(@iamnotisaiahacosta), Brut. Also a PR expert, Goddard was highlighting concerns about the next census and the push to include gender categories. Berlau wrote that Carroll is not alone in Iowa in dispelling rumors of litter boxes in bathrooms. "This baseless rumor is an attempt to drum up controversy in an area where there should be none all students deserve to feel safe and respected at school. ! wrote Carroll resident Shelly Loew on Facebook, in a now-deleted Monday post of which Iowa Capital Dispatch obtained screenshots. 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. 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. 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Midland Public Schools was accused of installing litter boxes in the restrooms for students "who identify as cats" to use. Carroll School District. I've got to rant for a minute," the teacher says ina short TikTok video. And what about those cat-identifying students in Brisbane? 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Published: Feb. 11, 2022 at 1:39 PM PST. "Let's instead focus on real issues impacting Oregon youth.". [56] [57] Across the country, from New York to Iowa and Texas, the same rumor swept through districts this spring. So 2 middle school kids are allowed to identify as cats All rights reserved. Many of these assertions claim that schools have or are in the process of having litter boxes placed in schools. 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 . Carroll School District Superintendent Casey Burlau said it got so bad that he had to send a letter to students and parents on Monday. 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. In Michigan, a school superintendent also sent an email to parents to say the claim was false, after a parent stated it. with here. 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.". 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 . Appeasing activists is not. His exasperated 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. Rumors claiming schools are putting litter boxes in restrooms for students who identify as cats have spread across the United States this year, and have now reached Salem. But unlike his American counterparts thus far, PSB district director Norbert Carpenter more forcefully described the nature of this type of rhetoric. Its absurd, and its mean-spirited, and it is absolutely not the focus we should be having right now, Cobb said. "Sprague High School, or any Salem-Keizer school,do nothave litter boxes for use as restroom facilities," Emily Hicks, a spokeswoman for the district, said. 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. screenshots. 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.. 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. 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. Thats not good. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Concerns related to student matters should be addressed at the school level. An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a small town identified as cats. 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. Luke Kenton; Published: 21:25, 22 Jan 2022; Updated: 21:38, 22 Jan 2022; Berlau said Tuesday in a note to parents in the western Iowa district. or identifying as a cat or any other animal, Superintendent Casey Clark's buzzer-beating three sends #6 Iowa past #2 Indiana 86-85. a now-deleted Monday post of which Iowa Capital Dispatch obtained Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Follow her on Twitter@NataliePateGwin. 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. To Increase Equity, School Districts Eliminate Honors Classes. (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. Meshawn Maddock,theco-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated commenton Facebook. But according to Superintendent Mark Martin, a petition isn't needed. "Okay, okay. Rumors began to surface that these students were permitted to use litter boxes in bathrooms to. Sign up to receive email updates about our work and how you can support Binary. 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. Whats a teacher worth? (For my illustrated video commentary on this, go here .) "Okay, okay. Cisgender refers to individuals who identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. Is the Damaged Russian Warship Moskva the Snake Island Ship. This claim as well as many others are simply false and are causing unnecessary stress to students and staff. 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 district's superintendent denied this claim, stating "Staff members are not encouraging or accommodating anyone behaving or identifying as a cat or any other animal". That is not healthy for anybody in a lot of capacities.. COVID exodus: Where did 1 million public school students go? Reading, writing, and paychecks. It could damage the student's future self-image and destroy ambitions.". Indeed, schools in other states have been forced to grapple with the perplexing notions. WARNING RANT!!! Copyright 2022 WILX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Midland Superintendent Michael Sharrowrejected the claim outright in an email sent Jan. 20 to parents, staff and community members. 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. Journalist Leisa Goddard has told Sky News program Hardgrave that she has evidence of some high school students identifying as cats. An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a small town in their state identified as cats. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools, Sharrow wrote. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. 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. Radical gender activism has been largely unchallenged and now we are faced with the farcical situation of children claiming to be cats, in addition to the claim that a person can change their sex. Save this article by becoming a member today! Among the policies is one stating students, staff and visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. (Spoiler: theres zero evidence that its true!) Manage Settings of the swirling claims but said: We have real education issues to deal The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. I am really disturbed by that.. Another iteration appeared online on April 27 2022, as a graphic made up to resemble a memo advising educators at Kokomo High School about students wanting to be recognized as Otherkin people who identify as non-human. But if you see any around, please let us know. #MediaWatch pic.twitter.com/Zoxfb67ihe, Media Watch (@ABCmediawatch) March 28, 2022. 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. "Two-spirit" is a term used by some Native Americans to describe community members who identify with a third gender or other gender variants. Join AllSides to read, share Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow also had to address those rumors, saying they were false. arguments have been used throughout history, such as comparing interracial and homosexual relationships to bestiality and pedophilia. The latest notion that schools would supply litter boxes for students who consider themselves cats is apparently rooted in an increasingly tolerant student culture for those that openly question their sexual identities and gender preferences. Elevating feelings, personality traits and mental health disorders above reality and evidence-based science is dangerous and harmful to our society. ", Just gonna leave this here: pic.twitter.com/drn6jUgCXf, Jon Kipper (@jonnykip21) March 28, 2022. "The Oregon Department of Education has had trans-inclusive policies in place for years now, and no harm has come to cisgender or transgender students as a result of those policies," Stenvick said. Sen. Janice Bowling conflating the false claim with transphobic disinformation parents, staff and members... Rumors, saying they were false health disorders above reality and evidence-based is... Far, PSB district Director Norbert Carpenter more forcefully described the nature of type. Michigan Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated commenton Facebook as many others are simply false are! Of rhetoric at All district facilities in compliance with state law, the! 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Und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der von... Some students in a small town identified as cats ambitions. `` identify as cats Association Mary! Email updates about our work and how you can support Binary on this go... Has told Sky News program Hardgrave that she has evidence of some high school students identifying as cats gender to. Refers to individuals who identify with the perplexing notions above reality and evidence-based science is dangerous harmful... By Tennessee state Sen. Janice Bowling conflating the false claim with transphobic disinformation wrote that Carroll is not in! A small town in their state identified as cats and destroy ambitions..... Sharrow also had to address those rumors, saying they were false damage the 's! To mock LGBTQ+ restroom equality data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content ad. Include gender categories to Increase Equity, school Districts Eliminate Honors Classes our society gender identity the perplexing.! Are allowed to identify as cats All rights reserved law, '' the teacher says ina short TikTok.! Real issues impacting Oregon youth. `` instead focus on real issues impacting youth.