[LAUREN TAYLOR]
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AT MT. NEBO MIDDLE SCHOOL IN UTAH – STAGED A WALKOUT THIS WEEK – PROTESTING “FURRIES” IN THEIR SCHOOL. BUT SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THE PROTEST WAS OVER SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
“’FURRIES’ ARE PEOPLE WITH AN INTEREST IN ANIMALS THAT HAVE HUMAN QUALITIES. SOME MAY WEAR ANIMAL COSTUMES OR PARAPHERNALIA LIKE EARS OR TAILS” ACCORDING TO WEBMD.
THE PROTESTING STUDENTS SAID ADMINISTRATORS ARE ALLOWING “FURRIES” TO BITE, BARK, AND POUNCE ON THEIR PEERS – AN ACCUSATION THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DENIES AND SAYS ARE “RUMORS” THAT WERE STARTED ONLINE.
A PETITION TITLED “STUDENTS FOR HUMANS AT SCHOOL, NOT ANIMALS AKA FURRIES” STARTED ONLINE SUNDAY – IN WHICH SUPPORTERS WERE ASKING FOR SIGNATURES FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO START ENFORCING ITS DRESS CODE.
THE PETITION HAS BEEN SIGNED BY MORE THAN 22-HUNDRED PEOPLE AT THE TIME OF THIS BROADCAST.
IN A ROUGHLY HOUR-LONG VIDEO POSTED TO X –
DOZENS OF STUDENTS AND SOME PARENTS CAN BE SEEN CHANTING AND HOLDING SIGNS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL.
ONE GIRL BE HEARD SAYING “THEY BITE US. THEY SCRATCH US. THEY BARK AT US” – REFERENCING THE “FURRIES.”
OTHER STUDENTS SAID THEY WANTED THE FURRIES BANNED FROM SCHOOL.
SETH SORENSEN – THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TOLD ABC-4 NEWS OUT OF SALT LAKE CITY – THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ISSUES WITH HARASSMENT OR STUDENTS FEELING UNSAFE AT MT. NEBO MIDDLE SCHOOL – AND THAT THE ONLINE CLAIMS ARE FALSE. HE SAID THERE’S A DRESS CODE AT THE SCHOOL THAT WOULD PREVENT STUDENTS FROM DRESSING UP LIKE ANIMALS – AND HE DOESN’T BELIEVE THE VIDEOS OF FURRIES IN SCHOOL – WHICH HAVE BEEN SHARED ONLINE – ARE FROM NEBO SCHOOLS.
HE DID ADMIT THAT SOME STUDENTS HAVE WORN ANIMAL EAR HEADBANDS SAYING DRESSING UP IS “JUST WHAT STUDENTS OF THIS AGE DO.”
UTAH PARENTS UNITED RELEASED A STATEMENT ON THE WALKOUT SAYING “THIS IS WHAT VALUING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OVER COMMON SENSE LOOKS LIKE. IT IS HARMFUL TO CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL RULES AND DRESS CODES TO BE CENTERED AROUND THE MARGINALIZED. IT PERPETUATES THE VICTIM CULTURE THAT IS DAMAGING OUR CHILDREN!”
THE VIDEO OF THE STUDENT PROTEST HAS GONE VIRAL X.