JEFFERSON CO., Pa. (EYT) – Local schools, along with schools across the nation, are on alert on Friday following an apparent TikTok trend threatening violence in schools nationwide.
Brookville Area Superintendent Erich May sent out an email to parents and guardians regarding the threat.
“We are aware of messages circulating on social media encouraging students to make false threats or engage in gun violence,” May noted.
“These messages are not specific to our district or even our state. Nonetheless, we are monitoring the situation and working closely with local law enforcement. Brookville Borough Police will provide additional presence in and around our schools tomorrow. Meanwhile, parents and families are encouraged to report suspicious activity to Safe2Say at (844) 723-2729 or online at www.safe2saypa.org.”
Punxsutawney Area Superintendent Thomas Lesniewski posted a safety update on the district website, noting the threat and the steps PASD is taking.
“Currently these social media posts warn of threats, but are not specific to Pennsylvania and do not contain specific threats, schools, actors, or locations,” Lesniewski noted.
“We just wanted to spread awareness of these social media posts and to remind the PASD community to be aware of and report any suspicious activity or threats.”
In Clarion County, Clarion Area School District sent out information to parents and guardians about the threat on Thursday.
“We have spoken with Chief Peck, our faculty, and I personally spoke with a few of our students. No one is aware of, nor have heard of any type of specific conversation or threat being discussed due to this latest TikTok challenge related to Clarion Area,” the email stated.
However, the email went on to note the district did ask for some additional law enforcement presence Friday morning, as a precaution.
“As per law enforcement, this is not deemed a credible threat, but the story is making the news rounds, so we wanted to try and get ahead of the information.”
Union School District also released information about the threat online Thursday afternoon.
“The district has been in contact with the Pennsylvania State Police regarding the post. We may have an increased police presence in our buildings on Friday as an added precaution,” Superintendent John Kimmel said in the release.
“This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about proper behavior online.”
Likewise, Forest Area School District Superintendent Amanda Hetrick also contacted families about the threat, noting that Forest Area School District takes threats very seriously.
“Social media is a powerful tool often used to influence others, and not always for the good. It is always important to remain vigilant when it involves these types of threats,” Hetrick said.
“Please take time to talk to your students about the influence of social media and the potential consequences of engaging in this type of behavior as well as the importance of reporting information about threats that may endanger the safety of individuals or groups of students. We must take every threat seriously and students face the possibility of suspension or expulsion, and legal consequences for making threats.”
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