A group of middle school students in Utah organized a walkout this week to protest what they say is a growing problem with ‘furries’ at the school. The term generally refers to people who dress up as animals and exhibit animal-like behavior.
The event took place outside Mt. Nebo Middle School on Wednesday as a complement to an online petition that was organized to demand administrators start enforcing the section of the school district’s dress code that prohibits clothing and accessories that “interfere with the learning atmosphere at school.”
On Thursday’s show, Megyn was joined by Charles C.W. Cooke and Jim Geraghty of National Review to discuss the walkout and why the situation is drawing criticism even from some within the furry community.
The Protest
Upon first seeing the story of the protest on social media, Megyn admitted she didn’t fully believe it. “We have a story we were told wasn’t true, but it is true… furries are coming to a school near you,” she said. “Initially, I thought, Is this one big punk by these kids because it is so outlandish? But no… it happens in colleges and it happens in younger schools now..”
Video of the protest was shared on social media by Adam Bartholomew of Main Street Media Utah, and Libs of TikTok later posted a shorter version with an overview of the students’ top concerns.
In the clips, the students accuse the furries of biting and scratching. They said some spray Febreze at them or bark at and chase other students. “You heard the allegations – they run on all fours, they pounce on us, they bite us, they eat their lunches out of bowls,” Megyn noted.
The Change.org petition – which has over 1,600 signatures after setting an original goal of 500 – is asking for the leaders of Mt. Nebo Middle School to start enforcing section 3.1.8 of the dress code, which states:
Jewelry, accessories, tattoos, hair, facial hair, and other elements of a student’s appearance that draw undo attention, distract, disrupt, or otherwise interfere with the learning atmosphere at school or at school activities and events, or that create a health, safety or welfare issue are prohibited.
When Bartholomew asked the student protesters if their parents knew about the walkout, they answered with a resounding “yes.” They also said that the furries get away with their behavior, while they are reprimanded for not being inclusive.
The School Reponds
In a statement to the local ABC affiliate, Nebo School District Public Information Officer Seth Sorensen disputed the students’ claims but did not outright refute them. “They’re trying to downplay what’s happening, but they’re not denying that there’s an issue,” Megyn said.
Sorensen said reports of students dressing as animals are “a little bit inaccurate.” Instead, he told ABC4 that some kids come to school “wearing headbands with ears” and likened it to “students wearing bows and sports jerseys.” Sorensen claimed that dressing up is “just what students of this age do.”
Megyn, however, was inclined to believe the protesters. “I believe the children… They’ve got examples at the ready, they would like to walk us through them, they’re holding up signs that read ‘compelled speech is not free speech,’ they’re supported by their parents who are also very angry,” she explained. “And the most telling part was when the reporter asked ‘why do you think they do this?’, the kids said they want attention.”
‘This Is Insane’
The situation these protesters find themselves in is, in Megyn’s words, “outlandish.” And she isn’t the only one who thinks so. ABC4 tracked down an adult furry from the area who agreed.
A person who was dressed up as some sort of canine and goes by the name ‘Strudel’ told the outlet that kids “latch onto things really easily,” adding “sometimes they stumble upon these communities and they’re not old enough to really understand what that is or how to behave with it.” Strudel also understood why the costumes could be distracting. “School is for learning,” Strudel said. “It’s a place of education, first and foremost.”
While Cooke said he was “struggling” to wrap his head around the story, he said the defense of the furries doesn’t pass the most basic smell test. “I have a fairly simple test for a lot of political questions and that is: Could you explain it to somebody at a bar without them either moving away or searching on Amazon for a straight jacket? And I just think this is a great example of it,” he said.
“If you said to someone at a bar, ‘Do you think that people should be able to go to school dressed up as animals and then scurry around and bite children?’ They would say, ‘What are you talking about? That is the most insane thing I’ve ever heard.’”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Cooke and Geraghty by tuning in to episode 770 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.