Furries eating out of dog bowls at school? Texas district debunks GOP hopeful’s claim

A Texas school district has responded to claims by a GOP hopeful that some school cafeterias are catering to furries, a group of people largely known for dressing up in animal costumes.

The claim was made by Michelle Evans, a Republican running for office in House District 136 in the Austin, Texas, area.

“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 said in her Jan. 23 tweet.

Evans did not provide any evidence to back her remark. In a statement to MySanAntonio.com, Evans said she would put the outlet in touch with students and parents, but none verified her claim.

A spokesperson for the Round Rock Independent School District said Evans’s “claim is false.”

“This is not happening in Round Rock ISD schools” the spokesperson told McClatchy News. “It is not even a possible option with our cafeteria tables.”

What are furries, anyway? Let’s look to WhatAreFurries.com, which says the term refers to people who like anthropomorphic animals, but the site provided examples to further examples.

Furries, who sometimes wear furry costumes, often do it to create a character for themselves or use the fandom as a way to meet new friends, according to the website. Some say they use the community “as a method of escapism” from real-world problems, while others do it as a form of roleplay.

The remark by Evans follows reports that litter boxes were placed on school grounds in Michigan for people who identify as furries to use the bathroom.

A parent made the claim at a school board meeting for Midland Public Schools, later amplified by Meshawn Maddock, a chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party.

But those remarks, like the one in Texas, were deemed false by school officials.

“Let me be clear in this communication. There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation!” Midland Public Schools superintendent Michael Sharrow said last week. “There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.”

That’s not to say furries don’t attend some schools. Students dressed and acted like cats at Meade County Schools in Kentucky last year, and the superintendent told WLKY “the situation (was) being addressed.”

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