Superintendent: No Kitty Litter Placed In School Restrooms For Students Who Identify As Animals

Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow sent an email to parents on Jan. 20 to dispel a rumor the district had placed litter boxes in school restrooms for students who identified as animals.

“It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication,” Sharrow wrote. “Let me be clear in this communication. There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.”

The rumor circulated after a resident stated at the Dec. 20 board of education meeting that litter boxes were placed in student restrooms for children who identify themselves as “furries.”

The website WedMD states, “Furries are people who have an interest in anthropomorphic animals, or animals with human qualities. Many furries create their own animal character, known as a fursona, which functions as their avatar within furry communities. ... The community itself is known for its diversity and acceptance. One-third of the furry community identifies as exclusively heterosexual, and furries are five times as likely to identify as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, pansexual) than the general population.”