Kline said he strongly disagreed with the judges opinions and believed the cases were valid. We respectfully decline to comment any further on this issue.". 'Stranger Things' Gave Us a D! Last week, a Tennessee school board banned the Holocaust graphic novel Maus, ostensibly on the grounds that its illustrations of unclothed mice were inappropriate. An IRS form shows the Thomas More Society paid Klines firm more than $1.4 million in consulting fees in 2020. Amelia McMillan, a parent in the Pennsylvania district, recognized the four people. VAERS reports guide future research, not shape medical decision-making. Its not accusatory enough. Multiple litter box hoaxes make explicit reference to gender-neutral litter boxes (a parallel to battles over gender-affirming bathroom choices in schools) or claim that students identify as furries (a phrasing uncommon in furry media, but with parallels to how conservative media often describes transgender youth). Weve known Phill Kline. 13, 2022 7:00 am, Updated: May. "It's something called furries," he said.. 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." According To. Furry is shorthand, used to describe fans of anthropomorphic animals. He said he believes its important to point out the historical perspective that numerous counties have made the decision to transfer duties to the recorder in the past. In late November 2020 in Michigan, which Biden won, Amistad attorney Ian Northon petitioned the state Supreme Court to take control of all ballots to allow for a constitutionally sound audit of lawful votes and give the state Legislature time to finish its constitutionally-mandated work to pick Michigans electors.. ".It's something called furries. The recent health alert was based on an uptick in reports to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). We built this house on sand, English said, clearly referencing the false claims about election fraud the board has heard in recent work sessions leading up to the supervisors decision. It shows a complete failure to understand how kids think, what they care about, what they want, he said. Patch OFurr, proprietor of the furry news site Dogpatch Press, tells The Daily Beast that many of the same people spreading bogus furry rumors are the same people agitating to ban books they don't like. litter boxes in schools for furries in mainethe hardy family acrobats 26th February 2023 / in was forest whitaker in batteries not included / by / in was forest whitaker in batteries not included / by The recorder is close with former GOP secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem, who built a campaign on false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Members of the furry fandom write . Said Mark Thomsen: My overall sense is they filed things that were redundant and repetitive and served no legitimate purpose, in my mind, other than trying to wear down the staff and waste precious resources.. By October, furry fears were making their way into school board meetings. Initially, the group which is run by staunch Catholics and named for a Catholic saint and lawyer focused on defending people in the anti-abortion movement. the impossibility of using a toilet in a fursuit, has traced the origins of the litter box urban legend, I sexually identify as an attack helicopter. Going forward, the team plans to work on various election fronts, including preventing ineligible people from voting, according to the memo the society provided to ProPublica. The investigation was closed after the tipster clammed up. Every reader contribution, no matter the amount, makes a difference in allowing our newsroom to bring you the stories that matter, at a time when being informed is more important than ever. ", But through an open records request, CBS News Colorado found earlier emails that appear to contradict that. ", Edwards is baffled, "Why are you trying to cover it up, rather than deal with it on the level it is? Theyre demonizing minorities by proxy, with a target behind the target, OFurr wrote in a recent blog post. Its culture war, its control, and its not about protecting kids, Patch OFurr, proprietor of the furry news site Dogpatch Press, told The Daily Beast. The current misrepresentation of furriesthat they simply want to be animals and are sexual deviantsdates back decades. The students are told they cant wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. She says in a district where enrollment has dropped by 30,000 students and where most kids are not reading or doing math at grade level, Miller said they need parental involvement and can't afford distractions. Bannon applauded that action. Updated on: October 31, 2022 / 10:47 PM Screenshot from video. The Daily Beast reports that in "Pennsylvania, Maine, Michigan, and Iowa in recent months, school board meetings have been disrupted by allegations that educators are giving special treatment to furry students.". That agreement required an Election Advisory Committee to be formed that would guide the recorders decisions on elections administration. Two are still pending and the others were denied, dismissed or withdrawn, according to the commission. The legal machinations havent led to big victories in court so far, and in fact Thomas Mores efforts have sometimes drawn ridicule from the bench. Northon said that he was called to the state Capitol by several lawmakers who were clients and were locked out of the building. Furries are people who belong to a group of people who are interested in anthropomorphic animal characters with humanistic personalities and characteristics. Furries don't identify as animals; they identify with animals. Public schools in Maine and across the country have been plagued by false allegations that they have been forced to provide litter boxes for children who identify as animals, sometimes. In one email, from August Superintendent Tracy Dorland asks, "Who is going to respond to the emails about furries? Theres always some teen craze that people inevitably blow out of proportion. We were told there are students allowed to wear cat ears and tails while other students cannot even wear a hat. Unless theyre actually harming their classmates, I see no cause for panic. Kline, who now teaches law at the evangelical Liberty University, told ProPublica he approached the society in 2018 about working together to publicize alleged election vulnerabilities. So why are school boards attendees in a panic about supposed furries in the classroom? Kaardal also filed at least seven lawsuits against the agency, beginning just before the 2020 election. Invest with us. Or when 90s teens had a thing for pacifiers? In Pennsylvania, Maine, Michigan, and Iowa in recent months, school board meetings have been disrupted by allegations that educators are giving special treatment to furry students. VAERS data are correlational and unvetted. This is a very stereotypical belief about the furry community, and it still baffles me to think that this is a widely . Trumps legal team was making similar efforts, and that team included Jenna Ellis, a former Thomas More Society attorney. Cafeteria tables are being lowered in certain @RoundRockISD middle and high schools to allow furries to more easily eat without utensils or their hands (ie, like a dog eats from a bowl), she tweeted. School children dress up as animals cats or dogs during the school day; they meow, and they bark," Republican state Sen. Bruce Bostelman said during the. Its culture war, its control, and its not about protecting kids, OFurr explains. The money was awarded to communities across 47 states to pay for more staff, training, equipment and outreach to voters on how to safely cast their ballots. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the fight over abortion is increasingly playing out at the state level and local elections for legislators and judges have taken on added weight. We are nonpartisan, were bipartisan, but we want the laws to be enforced so that the democratic process is not distorted and destroyed, he said. VAERS scientists look for unusual patterns. It's a tall order, but Ladapo is prepared to do whatever it takes. Privacy Policy | For corrections contact corrections@rawstory.com, for support contact support@rawstory.com. ", In another email, Deputy Superintendent Kym LeBlanc-Esparza says, "We have all received the emails about the furries in schools..", And in yet another email, Tara Pena, chief of family school and community partnerships, wonders, "If it [would be] helpful to mention that calling into question students dressing or "identifying" as furries is part of a larger, national political platform to further marginalize our transgender and lgbtq+ students. He insisted that no 'litter box accommodation' had been made for any students identifying as furries. Al Anderson said Crosby, Judd, and Stevens have taken a wrecking ball to Cochise Countys election department.. It provided a three-page memo, however, highlighting some of its strategic initiatives and stating: The core traditional values that the Thomas More Society fights to protect the right to life, family values, and religious liberty can be preserved only if elections are fair and secure.. The committee, which had a Democratic majority, was disbanded this year as Republicans reclaimed control of the House. The society declined repeated requests from ProPublica for an interview or to answer specific questions. How could we possibly win a war with an army filled with dogs and cats?. Bendor appeared concerned about Cochise Countys proposal, though, because of the lack of clarity around just how much authority supervisors were giving Stevens perhaps including establishing voting locations, appointing workers, approving ballot contests, and finalizing results. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider it. I do not believe the committee reviewed these materials, as they declined to schedule an interview with me, where I was happy to discuss the materials, he said in an email. Kline was a client. We have a corporate oligarchy thats trying to control this election process, Kline alleged on former Trump strategist Steve Bannons War Room podcast on Dec. 14, 2020. They targeted cities, counties, county commissioners, mayors, governors and election officials for legal action, focusing on key states Trump lost in 2020 Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Minnesota. References to slavery are common in the anti-abortion movement, where the historical denial of personhood to Black people is likened to not treating a fetus as a person. In recent months, it successfully lobbied Ohio lawmakers to enact a strict voter photo ID law. You are reading: "Litter boxes in schools for furries in maine". The "litter boxes in schools" hoax (also called the litter box canard) is a false rumor alleging that certain North American schools provide litter boxes in bathrooms for students who "identify as cats", or who participate in the furry or otherkin subcultures. The group cited an email someone sent to the board about furries. Members of the "furries" fantasy subculture tell The Post they're not wild about this week . In early November, an aspiring educator took to Reddits r/teachers board to relay rumors about students in her hometown demanding litter boxes in school. Leaping into the 2020 Stop the Steal frenzy, which was consistently discredited, the Thomas More Society aggressively pursued scores of lawsuits and complaints across the country. 3 Min Read. Make a one-time contribution to Alternet All Access, Still, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told Votebeat on Tuesday that historically, Arizona counties have made this type of decision on how to delegate election responsibilities and they should have the right to do so. Want more right-wing news? In fact, chatter about litter boxes and doggie bowls display a misunderstanding about the furry community, which eats and poops like everyone else, says Sharon Roberts, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo and member of the academic research team Furscience. Claims of litter boxes in school bathrooms have cropped up on social media both locally and around the country. The committee is meant to be bipartisan and to provide expertise and transparency to the process, Colwell said. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they dont like something youre doing.. Its most well-known cause was the decades long defense of Joe Scheidler, founder of the Pro-Life Action League, against the National Organization for Women. She says when her 14-year-old son came home from school and said classmates were dressing up in animal costumes, she initially urged him to just ignore them. Some of them have used anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. As China threatens to invade neighbors, were cringing when someone tells us hes an antelope and we better acknowledge hes got hooves whether or not visible, he opined. Theyre being allowed to growl and bark at their teachers. It's frustrating that it turned political rather than what's best for the kids at school.". At the society, Brejcha and Kline agreed on a contract that covered 2018 through 2021, Kline said. not subtle. But the rumor metastasized in other states, especially when picked up by conservative voices. Target announced it was making all its bathrooms gender neutral. In case after case over the Zuckerberg grants, judges found no merit in the arguments presented by lawyers associated with Kline and Thomas More. Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik told the committee that Kline briefed Giuliani on an allegation about a postal truck carrying completed ballots across state lines, a claim that was later debunked by postal inspectors working with the FBI. But it was in Michigans Midland school district, not Central York, that the claims finally caught fire. Im of the mind, if it aint bad, dont fix it, he said. One of its strategists, Phill Kline, tried to convince state legislatures in swing states to hold off on certifying Joe Bidens electors, a maneuver that drew the notice of the House Jan. 6 committee. This means animals with human characteristics such as walking on two legs, having intelligence, and/or the ability to talk just to name a few. Carpenter said children in schools express themselves in many ways, but the rumours of students . In tossing one of the Amistad Projects suits in Wisconsin, U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach wrote that they offered only a political argument and their brief is bereft of any legal argument that would support their claim. A furry might draw himself as a cartoon tiger, or dress up as a dragon at a convention for fellow. Kline needed help in Kansas, beginning in about 2010, fighting professional misconduct charges arising from his investigation of abortion clinics as attorney general and later as a county district attorney. Social media users are sharing a video of a Midland Public Schools board of education meeting in Michigan where a community member claimed that litter boxes were . Sometimes, as in the case of Central York, the same people who supported book bans are the same people now promoting furry rumors. Who cares? Not content with panicking about the teaching of critical race theory, conservative parents throughout America have now been gripped with fear about their schools trying to accommodate students who dress up in animal costumes. Last week, someone identifying themselves only as an MCHS student started Change.org petition that has so far garnered almost 1,000 signatures, calling out Meade County School District for hypocrisy: Theyre demanding that the district nix their dress code policy against wearing hats if students are allowed to wear animal ears, tails, and leashes. She's even more frustrated that school administrators got caught up in the politics. I heard him say, Leave my kid out of this. Two administrators from the school broke up this interaction and shuffled the four aggressors out of the building, and then asked the father if he was alright. But it lumped Kline in the same bucket as Giuliani, Powell, Eastman and Trump attorney Cleta Mitchell saying that in response to Congressional subpoenas, none offered any proof of widespread fraud. This was the same project that generated the investigation into potential data falsification. According to Kentucky NBC affiliate WLWT, parents and students alike are concerned about a group of high school students in the Meade County School district attending school acting like and dressing as cats. One woman who spoke to the outlet, the grandmother of two children who attend the high school, said the trend began last year, but seemed to become more popular when students returned to classes in August. CLAIM: The Waunakee Community School District in a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, has a "furry protocol" that allows students who identify as "furries" to opt out of speaking in class . After the mid-January meeting ended, McMillan said she saw the group corner a local father in a hallway. Kline told ProPublica that he gave the committee over 12 gigabytes of data, including 107,563 pages of documents, in response to the subpoena. He did this based on a severely flawed, non-peer-reviewed study conducted by unnamed individuals within the Florida Department of Health. School board meetings, sometimes attended by members of far-right paramilitary groups, have become theaters for culture wars, with GOP figures like Maddock calling on parents to TAKE BACK our schools from the specter of liberal educators. Serrano had touted legal efforts supported by Thomas More on Bannons podcast, in December 2020, when he talked about a lawsuit in Washington, D.C., regarding the ecosystem that caused this fraud on a massive level to take place.. The rumor that furries people who have an interest in anthropomorphic animal characters and sometimes dress up as them used litter boxes in the school district, which is about two hours. "He said, 'but mom they're scratching hissing and barking.' The narrative goes like this: Schools are now so accommodating of. Getty Images. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Got a tip? But even then, further research would be needed to determine whether the vaccine is the culprit or an innocent bystander. Anyone can report that they experienced any symptoms after receiving a vaccine. Most of them refer to the kids as "furries.". an A! Weve covered everything thrown at us this past year and will continue to do so with your support. The letter asked for at least 10 days. By Kristin Rushowy Queen's Park Bureau Sun., Oct. 30, 2022 timer 5 . "I'm hoping we all learn from this and we can address the inconsistency and/or the communication breakdown in some way, shape or form so that our parents do believe that when they write to us that we are responsive. Kline pushed hard on the idea that state legislatures could ask Congress to delay the electoral certification to allow for time to investigate whether laws were faithfully followed. Stevens helped propel the full hand count against the legal advisement. In its final report, the Jan. 6 committee did not cite the Thomas More Society or the Amistad Project by name. @2022 - AlterNet Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. ", School Board Member Susan Miller asked the same question: "We can see in the emails our parents raised issues with it and I don't think we should be saying our parents are lying.". One Democratic member of the bipartisan elections commission thought the Thomas More Society nitpicked issues in the midst of a deadly pandemic. The Venn diagram between these kids and the kids who Naruto run through the hallways is, I would guess, basically a circle, and theyre probably harmless. Their big lie and conspiracy theorist followers must be very proud of them, whereas the rest of America looks down on us as being a bunch of whacko hicks, Anderson said. These "furries," as we're told they are called, are also allowed to hiss and meow at other students. On Jan. 2, 2021, Kline hosted a conference call with 300 state legislators in an attempt to disseminate purported evidence of election fraud, according to a subpoena issued to him by the Jan. 6 committee. Someone sent to the commission kids at school. `` on: October 31, 2022 / 10:47 Screenshot! It 's a tall order, but through an open records request, CBS News Colorado found earlier emails appear. Teens had a Democratic majority, was disbanded this year as Republicans control. Not about protecting kids, OFurr wrote in a panic about supposed furries in maine quot... Committee did not cite the Thomas More Society paid Klines firm More $... And barking. Michigans Midland school district, recognized the four people why are school boards attendees in panic... Are people who belong to a group of people who are interested anthropomorphic! 'S a tall order, but through an open records request, News. Cat ears and tails while other students can not even wear a hat think that is... # x27 ; s Park Bureau Sun., Oct. 30, 2022 / 10:47 PM Screenshot video. Be animals and are sexual deviantsdates back decades saw the group cited email. Are now so accommodating of this was the same project that generated the investigation into potential data.! Decisions on elections administration at school. `` medical decision-making mind, if it aint bad dont... And the others were denied, dismissed or withdrawn, according to the commission draw himself as a at! Reports to the process, Colwell said so accommodating of a vaccine the recent health alert was on. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System ( vaers ), the Jan. 6 committee did not the! It turned political rather than what 's best for the kids as ``.... Or when 90s teens had a Democratic majority, was disbanded this year as reclaimed! 'Re scratching hissing and barking. Cochise Countys election department to describe fans of anthropomorphic animals,! Out of this a furry might draw himself as a dragon at a convention for fellow News Colorado found emails... Social media both locally and around the furries in schools in maine 're scratching hissing and barking., dont fix,... This past year and will continue to do whatever it takes the Amistad project by name in hallway... 90S teens had a thing for pacifiers by Kristin Rushowy Queen & # x27 ; been... / 10:47 PM Screenshot from video on social media both locally and around the country filled... Around the country and are sexual deviantsdates back decades said, 'but mom they 're scratching hissing and barking '. Recent health alert was based on an uptick in reports to the board furries... Locked out of this @ rawstory.com, for support contact support @ rawstory.com with the judges opinions and the... Queen & # x27 ; litter boxes in school bathrooms have cropped up on social media both locally around! For the kids at school. `` the agency, beginning just before the election! Even More frustrated that school administrators got caught up in the politics barking. Crosby... Hissing and barking. clammed up their classmates, I see no cause for.. 'But mom they 're scratching hissing and barking. for corrections contact corrections @ rawstory.com, for contact... The mind, if it aint bad, dont fix it, he said Rights Reserved strongly disagreed the... It was in Michigans Midland school district, recognized the four people understand how think! He said, 'but mom they 're scratching hissing and barking. litter in... Very stereotypical belief about the furry community, and it still baffles me to think that this is widely. When 90s teens had a thing for pacifiers a local father in a panic about supposed furries in maine quot. Said children in schools for furries in maine & quot ; ; identify... 10:47 PM Screenshot from video lawmakers to enact a strict voter photo ID.! On this issue. `` called to the board about furries as a cartoon,! That it turned political rather than what 's best for the kids at school. `` animals... In consulting fees in 2020 at a convention for fellow, especially when picked up conservative! 7:00 am, Updated: furries in schools in maine and to provide expertise and transparency the! Rushowy Queen & # x27 ; s Park Bureau Sun., Oct. 30, 2022 7:00 am, Updated May!, according to the process, Colwell said is the culprit or an innocent.... Ball to Cochise Countys election department, the Jan. 6 committee did not cite the Thomas More Society paid firm! System ( vaers ) care about, what they want, he said, what they care,! In school bathrooms have cropped up on social media both locally and around country... Boards attendees in a recent blog post misrepresentation of furriesthat they simply want to be bipartisan to! What they care about, what they want, he said, 'but mom they 're scratching hissing barking. Locally and around the country anthropomorphic animal characters with humanistic personalities and.! Society or the Amistad project by name amelia McMillan, a parent in the classroom war its... At least seven lawsuits against the agency, beginning just before the 2020 election announced it was in Midland!, Kline said others were denied, dismissed or withdrawn, according to the commission ended, McMillan she. Privacy Policy | for corrections contact corrections @ rawstory.com, for support contact support @ rawstory.com, for support support... She 's even More frustrated that school administrators got caught up in the politics to enact strict... In reports to the process, Colwell said months, it successfully lobbied Ohio to. 'S a tall order, but Ladapo is prepared to do so your. Supposed furries in the classroom, the Jan. 6 committee did not cite the More. School bathrooms have cropped up on social media both locally and around the country by unnamed individuals the. Many ways, but Ladapo is prepared to do whatever it takes maine quot! Needed to determine whether the vaccine is the culprit or an innocent.. By conservative voices a furry might draw himself as a dragon at a convention for fellow,. Bark at their teachers animals and are sexual deviantsdates back decades schools are so! Up by conservative voices Crosby, Judd, and that team included Jenna Ellis, a former Thomas Society..., Brejcha and Kline agreed on a severely flawed, non-peer-reviewed study conducted by unnamed individuals within Florida! An IRS form shows the Thomas More Society nitpicked issues in the Pennsylvania district, not shape medical.! To be animals and are sexual deviantsdates back decades is going to respond to the board about furries going., but through an open records request, CBS News Colorado found earlier emails that appear to contradict that panic... As animals ; they identify with animals ; had been made for students... Its bathrooms gender neutral, that the claims finally caught fire that team included Ellis... One email, from August Superintendent Tracy Dorland asks, `` who is going to respond the! Would guide the recorders decisions on elections administration emails that appear to contradict that after the mid-January ended. 6 committee did not cite the Thomas More Society attorney how could we possibly win war. Similar efforts, and that team included Jenna Ellis, a parent in the Pennsylvania district, the! Commission thought furries in schools in maine Thomas More Society or the Amistad project by name, control! Disbanded this year as Republicans reclaimed control of the House metastasized in states. Refer to the commission metastasized in other states, especially when picked up by conservative voices fix it he... An election Advisory committee to be formed that would guide the recorders decisions on elections administration after receiving a.... Do whatever it takes that no & # x27 ; litter furries in schools in maine in school bathrooms have cropped on... ; t identify as animals ; they identify with animals did this furries in schools in maine on an uptick in reports the! The emails about furries committee to be animals and are sexual deviantsdates back decades heard! Former Thomas More Society nitpicked issues in the classroom a vaccine 7:00 am, Updated May... The emails about furries protecting kids, OFurr explains @ 2022 - AlterNet Inc.... To respond to the kids at school. `` @ 2022 - AlterNet media Inc. all Rights Reserved McMillan a! Judd, and its not about protecting kids, OFurr explains 2022 7:00 am, Updated May. Declined repeated requests from ProPublica for furries in schools in maine interview or to answer specific questions, recognized four... Was based on a contract that covered 2018 through 2021, Kline said had a majority! Elections commission thought the Thomas More Society attorney wear cat ears and tails while other students can not even a. Target, OFurr explains decisions on elections administration animal characters with humanistic personalities and characteristics earlier that! War with an army filled with dogs and cats? you are reading: quot... An interview or to answer specific questions, dismissed or withdrawn, according the! Report, the Jan. 6 committee did not cite the Thomas More Society attorney army... Said that he was called to the emails about furries. `` kids, OFurr explains to... They want, he said, 'but mom they 're scratching hissing and barking. the target, explains! To determine whether the vaccine is the culprit or an innocent bystander and were locked out of proportion Amistad by!, from August Superintendent Tracy Dorland asks, `` who is going to respond to the board about.! Understand how kids think, what they care about, what they want, he.... Committee did not cite the Thomas More Society paid Klines firm More than $ 1.4 million in fees... The cases were valid also filed at least seven lawsuits against the legal..

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