The bill aimed to stop all acts of animal behavior in
public schools. Prohibited actions would have included barking, hissing, meowing, licking oneself for grooming, and using
litter boxes to relieve oneself. Any accessory that is animal-like was included in the bill. Prohibited accessories would have included,
fursuits, collars, tails,
leashes, accessories designed for pets, and items historically not designed for humans. The bill attempted to make allowing or encouraging a child to believe that non-human behaviors are socially acceptable in an educational setting to be considered
child abuse. School districts who failed to enforce the law could have faced fines, with penalties starting at $10,000. s The bill excluded school
sports mascots, characters in plays, and designated
dress up days including
Halloween.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated in a news interview, "Kids go to school dressed up as cats
with litter boxes in their classrooms" and shared a conspiracy theory that kids were getting surgery to have non-human features, though this was proven to be a myth. These conspiracies were supported by
Baptist ministers in
Austin in order to gain support for the bill and to push for education savings accounts or
school vouchers, which would give families taxpayer funds to go toward
private-school tuition. The bill was sponsored by
State Representative Stan Gerdes, who stated on
Twitter, "No distractions. No theatrics. Just education. While school mascots, theater performances, and dress-up days remain part of school spirit, this bill ensures that students and teachers can focus on academics – not on bizarre and unhealthy disruptions. Texas schools are for educating kids, not indulging in radical trends." Gerdes claimed he wrote the bill in response to an incident at
Smithville Independent School District, though there is no record of any incident and Gerdes did not provide further details. He has stated his dislike of the furry fandom, calling it "unhealthy roleplaying" and "radical".
Criticism Educators in Texas have criticized the bill and its supporters, claiming that it is based on a right-wing
hoax claiming students were using litter boxes to relieve themselves. Others have criticized the bill as being a proxy attack against members of the
LGBTQ community, particularly
bathroom access for transgender people, as a significant portion of the furry community identify as
LGBTQ. School clubs for
table top and
live action role-playing raised concerns that the bill may have forced them to cease activities and effectively ban
Dungeons & Dragons in Texas schools, potentially violating student
First Amendment rights established by the
Supreme Court ruling in
Tinker v. Des Moines. == See also ==