Dupage Policy Journal

Hinsdale Central High School has been allowing so-called "furries" to wear animal costumes at the school, according to photos obtained by DuPage Policy Journal.

One photo, posted on Facebook Wednesday, shows a freshman student wearing what resembles a monster mask. Sources tell DuPage Policy Journal the student believes she is not a human but a cat.

A fellow student who took the photo of the "furry" was given a detention, sources say.

The Instagram page of the Hinsdale Central "furry" allowed to dress up at school in costume | Instagram

Sources say there are "multiple furries" at Hinsdale Central H.S. One student told DuPage Policy Journal a furry "hissed" at him when he got too close to her in the hallway.

The school’s principal, William Walsh, is trying to put an end to the costuming. 

"We do not allow students to wear masks that cover their faces at school," wrote Walsh in an email obtained by DuPage Policy Journal. "We will address this behavior."

Walsh wrote his "pronouns" are "he/him."

He did not reply to a request for further comment.

Hinsdale Central High School’s dress code is fairly ambiguous.

"Hinsdale Central prescribes that a student’s dress and grooming will not be disruptive to the educational process nor will it constitute a threat to the health, safety, welfare or property of self or others," the dress code reads.

Only six years ago the school hotly debated skirt lengths and bra straps.

That same fervor, however, does not seem to be applied to so-called "furries."

The "furry" trend has been noted in other school systems across the country.

In some areas of the country, tongue-in-cheek debates have begun regarding providing litter boxes for furry students.

A report from North Dakota suggested the presence of "furries" are typical now in area high schools

"Furries, people dressing up and acting like cartoon animals, are nothing new, but the issue of students identifying as cats in class has begun to attract attention," read an April report in The Forum, the daily newspaper serving Fargo, North Dakota. "Fargo School Board member Jennifer Benson told The Forum furries are real and that a student informed her some schools have litter boxes in restrooms for them."

A Nebraskas state senator was accused of spreading false rumors in late March after noting the trend.

"It’s something called furries. School children dress up as animals — cats or dogs — during the school day; they meow, and they bark," Nebraska State Sen. Bruce Bostelman said in a March 28 hearing.

In 2021, students at a Kentucky high school were noted to be "attending school acting like and dressing as cats."

The phenomenon resulted in a petition against the practice which 1,000 community members signed.

Feminist website Jezebel applauded the "furry" students for their efforts.