https://www.yourtango.com/news/australian-school-supports-teens-decision-identify-cat
School Supports Teen's Decision To Identify As A Cat & Allows Her To Be Non-Verbal In Class
Nia Tipton - Yesterday 6:15 PM
A school in Australia has allowed one of its students to be non-verbal in class and behave like a cat, as per her wishes.
The unnamed teenage girl, who is in Year 8, is reportedly allowed to act like a feline and be non-verbal at the private school in Melbourne, as long as it does not become a distraction to the other classmates.
The teen identifies as a cat and wants to be treated as such.
According to the Herald Sun, the school, which has called the girl "phenomenally bright," has stated that some of their students have displayed a range of identity and mental health issues.
“Our approach is always unique to the student and we will take into account professional advice and the wellbeing of the student,” the school's statement read, adding that they consult with professional advice as well as listen to the well-being of their students.
An insider close to the girl’s family also told Herald Sun that there is no specific protocol for students who identify as animals.
"No one seems to have a protocol for students identifying as animals, but the approach has been that if it doesn't disrupt the school, everyone is being supportive."
Despite the support from the girl's school and family, an Australian senator lashed out at the Melbourne private school for encouraging a teenager to identify as a cat.
Ralph Babet, a member of the United Australia Party, claimed the story is a symptom of the "radical left" running rampant and "unchecked" in society.
On his Facebook page, according to the Daily Mail, Senator Babet demanded an end to "woke" politics, directly calling out the teenage girl and the school in his dignified statement.
"Can we just put a stop to this garbage right now. You go to school to learn reading, writing and arithmetic," he wrote. "You are not a cat. You are a little girl. The end."
Previously, a school in Brisbane experienced the same incident after four female students were said to have taken to walking on all fours and cutting holes in their uniforms to leave room for their tails. It was believed that the girls were either identifying as foxes or cats.
Claims, which were denied by the school, made by one parent alleged that one of the girls had screamed at another student for "sitting on her tail."
"When a girl went to sit at a spare desk, another girl screamed at her and said she was sitting on her tail; there's a slit in this child's uniform where the tail apparently is," a parent told the Courier Mail.
Reports of individuals claiming to be "furries," which is a sub-culture of people who identify as animals, sometimes dressing up in costumes and wearing tails, have also happened in schools within the United States.
Back in January 2022, a school in Michigan had been forced to deny that they provide litter boxes for students who identify as "furries," after a woman made the initial claim during a school board meeting the previous month.