A TikTok video of a mother at a school boarding meeting went viral in which she says she heard Michigan schools were providing litter boxes for furries — students who identify as cats or dogs. Soon after, similar claims began littering the platform.
Here’s how we fact-checked it.
Start off with a keyword search
When you’re unsure if something is true, one of the easiest things you can do is turn to a keyword search. Using the phrase “litter box in school bathrooms” brought up this fact check from USA Today.
While USA Today is a well-known source, here’s a bonus tip to use if you see a source you’re less familiar with: Clicking on the three little dots next to the source in Google will open an “About this result” box that will give you more information on the organization so you can judge if they are a credible source.
According to the USA Today article, the video is of a school board meeting in central Michigan. However, Midland Public Schools superintendent Michael Sharrow said there is absolutely no truth to rumors that litter boxes are provided for students who are furries, or self-identify as cats.
Try lateral reading
The USA Today article links to a Facebook post from the superintendent. By clicking the link within the story — and reading upstream to get straight to that source — we can read his statements for ourselves.
“Let me be clear in this communication. There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools,” he wrote. He added, “It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you.”
Check multiple sources
Another article that came up from our initial keyword search was this piece from The New York Times, which also confirmed that schools are not providing litter boxes in bathrooms. They reported that the woman in the video is Lisa Hansen, and in an email to the Times she wrote that she is “a concerned mom trying to protect my child.”
Check your emotions
In the viral TikTok, Hansen said she was “really disturbed” by the idea of litter boxes in schools, and that she was “really upset as a parent.” However, she was upset and raised awareness about something that wasn’t actually happening and, in doing so, spread a rumor that went way more viral than any of the fact checks that debunked it. This is why it’s so important to check your emotions before you reshare a potentially false claim.
Look for evidence
In the video, the woman says she heard that this was happening, but doesn’t provide any proof to back it up. Saying you heard something from someone who probably heard it from someone else is like a game of telephone. So, instead, make sure the viral videos you see also include legit sources before you share.
Rating
With multiple sources, including the superintendent, clarifying that there aren’t litter boxes in the Michigan schools, we’ll rate this video as “Not Legit.”
