A Colorado teacher is drawing attention online after posting a video challenging a man who claimed that schools allow children who identify as animals to use kitty litter in classrooms. The clip, which has racked up more than 230,000 views, 64,000 likes, and over 1,000 comments on TikTok, has reignited debate over a long-running rumor that has repeatedly circulated on social media and in political discussions.
The video comes by way of @hashtagjrupp on TikTok, aka Mr. Rupp, a Colorado educator who regularly shares commentary on education, public policy, and viral claims about schools. In his latest video, Mr. Rupp discusses a conversation he says he had the previous day with a man who believed that schools were allowing children who identify as animals to use kitty litter in classrooms.
In the video, Mr. Rupp begins by addressing one of the internet’s most persistent school-related rumors head on. Referring to the long-debunked claim that some schools provide litter boxes for students who identify as animals, he says, “We do not have kitty litter in our classroom for kids who identify as animals and therefore need to use the bathroom for whatever reason in the middle of class.”
Instead, the educator explains that some classrooms are equipped with emergency supplies for far more sobering reasons. Holding up a packet of non-formaldehyde toilet chemicals, he says, “What we do have is non formaldehyde toilet chemical so students can go to the bathroom in buckets like these in case there’s an active shooter and we’re being held hostage.”
Mr. Rupp then shares a recent interaction that prompted him to make the video. According to the teacher, he was out with his wife when a stranger overheard him discussing his profession and struck up a conversation. After his wife stepped away, the man allegedly asked, “Aren’t you mad about the kitty litter they’re making you put in your classroom?”
The TikToker says he initially assumed the remark was a joke, only to realize the man was being completely serious. Mr. Rupp recalls responding, “You recognise that that is in no way actually true, right?” However, the man allegedly replied, “I heard it was.”
Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in the classroom, Mr. Rupp says he pushed back, telling the man, “This is not true. There are not kids going to the bathroom in litter boxes in public schools. Are you kidding?” According to the educator, the man simply responded, “Well, I believe that it’s true.”
That exchange ultimately led to Mr. Rupp’s broader point about misinformation and belief. Holding up the emergency toilet chemicals once again, he concludes, “Kids using litter boxes in a public school is not religious, it’s not faith, it’s not political, because it’s not real. This is real, though.”
Unsurprisingly, the video struck a chord on TikTok and Reddit, where many viewers praised Mr. Rupp for addressing a rumor that has circulated online for years. Others shared their own experiences trying to debunk similar claims made by friends and family.
Commenters Praise Teacher for Challenging Long-Running Rumor
Many viewers said Mr. Rupp’s story felt all too familiar. On Reddit, one user wrote, “‘I dont care if it’s true, I just believe it!’ Are the exact words I’ve heard in similar discussions with members of my family,” suggesting that conversations like the one described in the video are far from uncommon.
Others focused less on the long-running rumor itself and more on the educator’s mention of emergency lockdown supplies. One commenter wrote, “the active shooter toilet is the most depressing part of this whole thing,” a sentiment that resonated with many viewers in the thread.
Several users also weighed in on Mr. Rupp’s comments about belief versus fact. As one Redditor put it, “I call them feelings, because a beliefs or an opinion needs to be backed up with something. Your feelings don’t.”
Over on TikTok, many viewers expressed disbelief that the classroom litter box rumor continues to circulate years after it first emerged online. One user asked, “Why do they all believe the kitty litter thing?!” while another argued, “If this was true, kids would have posted these pictures in 0.0001 seconds.”
Some commenters also attempted to explain how the rumor may have gained traction in the first place. One TikTok user wrote, “the school that originally started the whole litter box thing had it because a student had a service animal.”
Whatever people believe about modern classrooms, many viewers felt Mr. Rupp’s video highlighted a more uncomfortable reality: teachers are spending less time debunking internet rumors and more time preparing for emergencies they wish they never had to face. Judging by the comments, that was the part of the story that truly gave people pause.
