The Nebo School District is located toward the southern end of Utah County. For years, it was a rural area and predominantly agricultural. That has changed as more people and businesses have flocked to the Beehive State. The small towns have gotten bigger, and the spaces between them, once occupied by little more than cattle and wildlife, are being filled in by subdivisions and retail outlets. The old West is being replaced by the new West, which brings with it new ideas.
On Wednesday, 75 students and their parents staged a walkout at the Mt. Nebo Middle School in Payson, Utah. At issue were accusations that students who claimed to be “furries” had taken to chewing on sticks, biting, licking, and even allegations that these students were spraying their peers with Febreze.
You can see a report from KUTV in Salt Lake below:
Two things stand out. First, there is the heartbreaking footage of some little girl having a complete meltdown over the issue. She is so carried away that her comments are barely intelligible. Middle school and junior high school are rough times for kids as it is. Do kids really need to carry the extra baggage that comes with social justice, gender norms, and pronouns? Furries or no furries, the fact that a middle schooler is enraged over pronouns points to the miserable state of society and speaks volumes about how children are being treated. No child should be so burdened by trends, fads, identities, or issues that she is reduced to such a tantrum. You might look at the girl’s reaction and think that her parents did not “raise her right.” Maybe. But remember that she is coming of age in a world where she is bombarded with the message that one’s value is determined by the degree of intersectionality, and the ability to express one’s rage.
Second, the furry who goes by “Strudel” is a voice of reason in all this uproar. Strudel’s point is that there is a time and a place for this sort of thing, and the school day is not the time and the school day is not the place. She also rightly points out that other people should not be negatively impacted by one’s personal proclivities.
The group Utah Parents United had the following post on its Facebook page:
This IS Utah!
We have verified that students at Mt. Nebo Middle school in Payson who questioned the behavior of the “furries” where told that they must treat this small group of students with “curiosity, understanding, patience, and tolerance” even when the behaviors were disrespectful, disruptive, and threatening. (The photo is a student chewing on an actual stick in class).
In response students protested. We stand by these students and their parents.
This is what “valuing diversity and inclusion” over common sense and truth looks like.
It is harmful to children for school rules and dress codes to be centered around the marginalized. It perpetuates the victim culture that is damaging our children!
As parents we must speak out when schools validate any disruptive, antisocial, and extreme behavior.
“We need an education system that inspires children to gratitude not to grievance.” Bob Woodson.
Opinions differ as to the veracity of the students’ claims. I contacted the Nebo School District, which was very prompt with its reply:
Thank you for reaching out. There was a student walkout involving about 75 parents and students on April 17th due to some misinformation that had been circulated online. We want to assure you that rumors circulating online about student behavior are completely untrue. These are 11 and 12-year-old students, and expressing themselves through clothing choices is typical at this age. Sometimes these children may come to school with a headband that has ears, sometimes with giant bows, and sometimes dressed as their favorite athlete. There have been no students attending school wearing masks or animal costumes. We promptly address distractions to learning as well as dress code violations to maintain a positive learning environment.
We take student safety seriously. There have been no incidents of biting, licking, costumes, or animal behavior at Mt. Nebo Middle School. These rumors are unfounded and are not occurring in our schools. We are committed to preventing negative behavior and fostering a respectful school community.
We encourage open communication. If parents or patrons have concerns, please reach out to the school administration or myself. Our top priority is a safe and supportive environment for both students and parents.
As you can see, the district has said that the allegations are unfounded. But YouTuber Adam Bartholemew was at the protest and posted just over an hour’s worth of footage online:
If you do not have an hour and twelve minutes, here is a greatly condensed version:
Students walked out of Nebo School District in Utah to protest the school for allowing “furries” to t*rrorize other students.
Students claim that the furries bite them, bark at them, and pounce on them without repercussion. However, if they defend themselves in any way, they get… pic.twitter.com/3FUiAo8efk
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 17, 2024
Note that one of the students’ primary objections is that they have no way of defending themselves and do not have any sort of redress through the school. The students allege that the furries are free to do as they wish, but they must exercise “tolerance.”
I am waiting to hear back from Utah Parents United and will follow up as soon as I talk to that group. As with any such story, people are taking sides and the usual accusations are being made about prevarication and exaggeration. In the meantime, go back and watch that little girl’s tantrum again. One of the real tragedies is that the issue even surfaced in a middle school in the first place.