Utah school district in 'furry' controversy issues new statement promising to take all allegations of harassment 'very seriously'

The Utah school district enmeshed in a controversy surrounding student "furries" — people who identify as animals, wear animal-like apparel, and mimic animal behaviors — has now slightly changed its stance from just a few days ago. Though it denied the existence of furries as recently as Thursday, it now claims to take all allegations of "harassment in our schools" — likely including harassment from furries — "very seriously."

As Blaze News previously reported, dozens of students and their parents staged a protest against the furries last Wednesday at Mt. Nebo Middle School in Payson, Utah, about an hour south of Salt Lake City. Students reported that furries had barked at them, chewed on sticks in class, played fetch in the halls, and even bit classmates who invaded their territory or sprayed them with air freshener.

Blaze News was able to provide several exclusive photos and videos supporting at least some of the claims about a furry problem. Those photos and videos appear to show students wearing animal masks and other animal-related paraphernalia, crawling about on all fours, and even bragging about spraying people in the face with chemicals.

Despite this evidence, which was readily available, Nebo School District repeatedly denied the existence of a problem. "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," district representative Seth Sorenson wrote to Blaze News.

The Salt Lake Tribune also published an article, more or less parroting district talking points about the furry allegations under the pretense of a fact check. "Fact check: Nebo School District responds to claims about student protest over 'furries,'" read the headline from Tribune education reporter Michael Lee on Wednesday evening, the same day as the protest. The article makes no mention of speaking with any students or parents who made furry allegations.

By Saturday, the district had sent Blaze News an amended statement that tacitly acknowledged the furry problem. Without referencing furries once by name or the disruptive behaviors in which they have allegedly engaged, the new statement denounced all instances of "any type of harassment in our schools."

The new statement from Seth Sorenson is long and discusses multiple subjects, so we will share the two paragraphs germane to the furry topic alone. Particular sentences that ostensibly reference the furries have been placed in bold:

We are again going to reiterate that we do not tolerate any type of harassment in our schools and take this very seriously. Administration had never told students that it is acceptable for any student, regardless of who they are, to be allowed to harass or injure other students.We take any and all harassment very seriously and investigate all allegations of these behaviors thoroughly. Our top priority is the safety and security of all students and creating an environment where they all feel safe and secure. Our administration would never allow any group of students to target and harass other students without intervention and consequences. We again encourage students that have experienced harassment or bullying to speak with administration so it can be addressed.

We take the education of these young 11 and 12 year old children at Mt. Nebo Middle School Very seriously. The teachers, staff and administration are all focused on creating an environment where students can learn, and foster a lifelong love of educating and improving themselves.

Blaze News reached out to the Salt Lake Tribune to see whether the outlet intended to update its reporting in light of the district's new stance on alleged harassment at Mt. Nebo Middle School. We did not receive a response from Lee, senior managing editor Sheila McCann, or executive editor Lauren Gustus.

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