Furries in Schools: Fact or Fiction?

The average person has probably never heard of animal “furries,” which in this context refers to people, including children, who identify as cats, dogs, and other animals. Some reportedly believe, at least to an extent, that they actually are the animals they portray, wearing the requisite costumes and adopting the animal’s behaviors.

In April 2022 on his online show, Dr Duke Pesta discussed the topic of furries in Wisconsin schools with conservative radio host Vicki McKenna, who assured listeners: “This is real. This is happening. Kids can identify themselves as ‘furries,’ — as an identity — and their behavior is protected.” The furries’ behavior can include biting, scratching, pouncing, crawling or scooting on all fours, barking, meowing, growling, licking, hissing, rubbing up against other students’ legs, and more. (Unfortunately, this episode has been taken down, but is referenced in the May 2, 2024 Dr. Duke show; link is included later in this article — Ed.)

Sexualized ‘Suicide Prevention’ Programs Endanger Kids

Last August, founder and president of Moms for America, Kimberly Fletcher, raised the question of whether so-called “suicide prevention programs” in schools actually work or merely confuse already confused and troubled children. She shared her concerns in an article on the Moms for America website, which also appeared on Townhall.com.

The article provides information on “new programs aimed at confusing children and exposing them to mature and inappropriate content without their parents’ knowledge or consent,” as documented by Brenda Lebsack, a 25-year veteran of California’s public schools. Lebsack is the founder of the parent advocacy organization Brenda4Kids, which aims to “pull back the curtain on what’s really going on in public education.” Lebsack agrees that parents “have been left in the dark about many changes concerning educational content, laws, policies, and the fast erosion of parental rights.”

Worried DOJ Tracking Moms for Liberty

The powerhouse education policy organization Moms for Liberty has apparently struck a nerve with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) after having proven itself a thorn in the side of the Biden Administration with its phenomenal success on behalf of parents’ rights. Indeed, the organization has been inciting ire and angst within the federal government for three years due to its rapid growth in membership (115,000 plus) and state chapters (45 and counting).

Last month, reports surfaced in conservative media that the DOJ’s “hate crimes” response unit was tracking the moms in the same way it tracks the Ku Klux Klan and other bonafide terrorist groups.

What Books Should Kids be Reading?

(Fifth in our series of recommended reading lists for children of all ages. We will continue this feature in Education Reporter until all our lists have been republished. — Ed.)

Classic children’s books are scarcely to be found in school classrooms and libraries today, so parents must ensure that their kids are reading books that educate, absorb, and entertain in a manner that stimulates curiosity and increases the child’s eagerness to learn about the world.