Bill aims to ban ‘furry’ school behavior

SMITHVILLE — An alleged Smithville Independent School District incident is fueling a legislative push to ban “nonhuman” behavior in Texas classrooms.

State Rep. Stan Gerdes, R-Smithville, introduced a bill March 13 that would prohibit students from dressing or acting like animals on school campuses. Filed as House Bill 4812—formally titled the Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education, or FURRIES, Act—the measure seeks to curb so-called “furry” conduct in public schools.

The bill targets both clothing and behavior, potentially banning students from meowing or wearing popular accessories like cat ear headbands.