Megyn Kelly’s claims about furries at Utah school are false

Former Fox news and NBC television host Megyn Kelly recently claimed that students in Utah, who identified themselves as “furries,” were allowed to engage in disruptive behavior at Mount Nebo Middle School in Payson. According to Kelly, these students were involved in the biting and scratching, which she reported on her SiriusXM podcast and reiterated in an April 18 Facebook post.

However, a comprehensive one research by fact-checker PolitiFact has determined that these accusations are unfounded. Nebo School District spokesperson Seth Sorensen explicitly refuted these claims.

“There have been absolutely no incidents involving biting, licking, costumes or animal behavior at Mount Nebo Middle School,” he said, according to PolitiFact. The district has a strict anti-bullying policy and provides a safe, respectful environment for all students.

On April 17, tensions escalated at Mount Nebo Middle School following a disagreement over student attire and behavior. According to Sorenson, “students did not treat each other respectfully and things happened that they felt were not appropriate or conducive to education.” This was reported by radio station KSL in Salt Lake City. The unrest was caused by a small group of students wearing headbands with animal ears, leading to incidents of other students throwing food at them. The school responded by sending a reminder of the district’s dress code, which prohibits any student appearance that could unnecessarily draw attention or disrupt the educational environment. Despite the administration addressing these concerns by discussing the disruption caused by the headbands with the students, who subsequently stopped wearing them, the issue was blown out of proportion on social media.

The misinterpretation of the school’s message led to widespread rumors and outrage, especially among conservative circles on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter). Posts from figures like Republican U.S. Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Republican Party gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman, joined by accounts like Libs of TikTok — known for its anti-LGBTQ+ extremism and significant following — mischaracterized the situation, which suggests that the The school tolerated students who ‘acted like animals’.

These exaggerated claims led to a peaceful protest from a group of students and parents, calling for respectful treatment and equal rights. This incident is reminiscent of similar false claims making the rounds in 2023, suggesting that schools provided litter boxes for students who identified as cats. Multiple media investigations have thoroughly debunked these stories. Despite the lack of evidence, the rumors had an impact on practice and influenced legislation in North Dakota. Lawmakers there have introduced a bill to prevent schools from housing students who would consider themselves non-human animals.