Tony Dungy recently stirred controversy on social media when he posted an inaccurate tweet regarding school districts purportedly adding litter boxes for students who identify as cats. The tweet was quickly deleted, but it was not forgotten by fans.
Tony Dungy, the former Super Bowl–winning coach, recently came under fire for a tweet he posted in response to a video showing Minnesota State Rep. Sandra Feist advocating for menstrual items in boys‘ school bathrooms. Feist argued that “not all students who menstruate are female” and that schools should provide period products to all students in need. Dungy responded to Feist‘s remarks with the tweet, “What are we teaching our kids?”
He said, “Some school districts are putting litter boxes in the school bathrooms for the students who identify as cats. Very important to address every student‘s needs.” Dungy‘s tweet was a reference to a hoax pushed by some conservatives in the political arena.
NBC’s Tony Dungy tweets harmful urban myth about litter boxes in schools https://t.co/C1SETvn1JQ pic.twitter.com/uZ7DWRLD0v
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 19, 2023
Unfortunately, some, including Dungy, took the urban myth seriously. Dungy‘s tweet quickly sparked backlash, with many questioning whether he would acknowledge the misinformation.
Ben Ross asked, “Interested to see if he acknowledges it at all,” while Jimmy Traina said, “Sports talk radio tomorrow: Did Tony Dungy tweet that schools are adding litter boxes for kids who identify as cats and then delete the tweet so people would stop talking about how awful he was calling Chargers–Jags.”
Sports talk radio tomorrow: Did Tony Dungy tweet that schools are adding litter boxes for kids who identify as cats and then delete the tweet so people would stop talking about how awful he was calling Chargers-Jags? https://t.co/DBayhEzThd
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) January 19, 2023
It‘s important for Dungy to address his tweet, as it was clearly based on false information. Not only does this undermine his credibility, but it could also potentially harm those that took his message seriously.
Though Dungy has yet to comment on his tweet, one thing is clear: he needs to acknowledge the mistake and apologize to those he offended. Taking responsibility for our words and actions is essential if we want to create a better online environment.
