During a school board meeting in Michigan that supposedly took place in December, one mother stepped forward to voice her concerns about litter boxes allegedly being placed in the school bathroom for students who may identify themselves as "furries".
"Furry" is a term for people who associate themselves with anthropomorphic animals, be it cats, dogs, or whatever one may imagine. According to the mother, one of the unisex bathrooms in the Michigan school had a litter box installed there for those who identify themselves as "cats".
"I am really disturbed by that. I will do some more investigation on that", the mother is heard saying in the video widely shared online. "I know what's going on nationwide, I know it is...it's part of the agenda that's being pushed, I don't even want to understand it".
She noted that she is "upset as a parent" that her child is "put in an environment like that".
However, according to Morning Sun, her claims have been debunked by Midland Public School Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow, who informed the students' parents after the rumours started to circulate online.
"Let me be clear in this communication. There is no truth whatsoever to the this false statement/accusation! There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools", Sharrow reportedly wrote.
Still, the allegations made waves online, prompting diverse reactions: some people were outraged, and others cast doubts on the parent's claims.
One user joked about how "The Babylon Bee" - a satirical media outlet - could run out of business should there be more such stories.
Others just giggled at the various possibilities that certain self-identification may open to people.