Students at Mt. Nebo Middle School in Utah staged a walkout on Wednesday, April 17, protesting what they claim is the presence of “furries” in their school. However, school officials refute these allegations, stating that the protest is based on misinformation.
Furries are individuals with an interest in animals possessing human qualities. According to WebMD, “some may wear animal costumes or paraphernalia like ears or tails.”
The protesting students allege that administrators are permitting furries to engage in behaviors such as biting, barking and pouncing on their peers — a claim the school district denies, labeling them as “rumors” originating online.
A petition titled “Students for Humans at School, Not Animals AKA Furries” surfaced online, urging supporters to sign in demand of the school district enforcing its dress code. At the time of this report, the petition has garnered over 2,200 signatures.
The video footage of the student protest has gone viral.
In a roughly hour-long video posted on X, numerous students and some parents can be seen chanting and holding signs outside the school. One girl is heard saying, “[The furries] bite us. They scratch us. They bark at us.”
Other students expressed their desire to have the alleged furries banned from the school premises.
Seth Sorensen, the public information officer for the school district, informed ABC-4 News out of Salt Lake City that while there have been incidents of harassment or students feeling unsafe at Mt. Nebo Middle School, the online claims are unfounded.
Sorensen stressed the existence of a dress code at the school that would prohibit students from dressing up like animals. He also expressed skepticism regarding the authenticity of the videos purportedly showing furries in the school, which have circulated online.
While acknowledging that some students have worn animal ear headbands, Sorensen characterized dressing up as “just what students of this age do.”
“This is what valuing diversity and inclusion over common sense looks like,” Utah Parents United said in a statement regarding the walkout. “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!”