Online claims of Banff Academy students identifying as cats are false Aberdeenshire Council says
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Aberdeenshire Council has said that rumours posted online saying that Banff Academy has pupils identifying as cats requesting litter trays in the school's toilets are false and is disappointed the claims continue to be shared.
The local authority has outlined that it and Banff Academy continue to focus on the well-being and education of its children and young people.
The claims, which also said pupils had defecated on the floor in protest over not getting the litter trays, appeared on The Real Banff and Macduff Community Group Facebook page.
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of false rumours circulating online suggesting that Banff Academy has pupils identifying as cats requesting litter trays in the academy’s toilets.
“It is disappointing to see this rumour continue to spread, however both Aberdeenshire Council and Banff Academy continue to focus on the well-being and education of our children and young people.”
The rumour is understood to stem from the USA which alleged that some schools were providing litter boxes in toilets for pupils that identified as cats or who participated in the furry or otherkin subcultures – people who are interested in anthropomorphic animal characters.
Over the past two years a number of American politicians and media personalities have promoted the rumour in response to several school districts enacting protections for transgender students.
Many news outlets, fact-checking websites and academic researchers have debunked the claims.
The claims have been described as internet trolling, fearmongering and anti-transgender rhetoric.
The rumours have spread in America largely as backlash against recognition of gender variance in schools, despite there being no confirmed instances of schools providing litter boxes for students to defecate or urinate in, or planning to do so.
Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Karen Adam said: "Unfortunately there are groups of people organising out there who are wilfully spreading ludicrous propaganda about students identifying as cats in schools.
"We know this originated in the USA where it has now made its way over to right-wing reactive organisations in Scotland who have also now chosen to push the same bizarre narrative that has been dispelled, multiple times, in the USA.
“Make no mistake, this narrative has been carefully manufactured and fabricated from extreme right-wing religious fundamentalist churches from the States to create a state of confusion to stir up hatred, via an orchestrated campaign to spread misinformation, in the same way that they have semi-successfully done so with Gender Recognition Reform.
“This is evidently a tactic to push national conversation over to entirely bizarre topics to stir up hatred against a wider community or minority group of people to cast suspicion over them.
"It’s worth asking ourselves about the intention behind these extreme right-wing religious groups from the USA doing this.”
