Alerts issued in Fayette, KY, nation over reported TikTok school threats on Friday

Fayette Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said he is closely watching social media and working with police in light of nationwide warnings that students could threaten schools as a prank on Friday.

Liggins sent parents a letter Thursday “about a possible social media challenge encouraging individuals to post threats against schools as a prank.”

Jon Akers, Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for School Safety, on Thursday sent school superintendents and school law enforcement officers a letter “suggesting extra supervision in every school and monitoring of social media “ because of a reported challenge on the social media platform TikTok.

“Although we are unaware of any such postings involving Fayette County Public Schools, this trend is receiving significant attention in the national news media as well as social media sites,” Liggins said.

“I was just made aware of a revised Tik Tok challenge circulating around the country,” said Akers.

The revised challenge is to pose threats of shooting against schools on Dec. 17, he said.

Estill County school officials were among those who told families about the TikTok challenge and warned that students who made threats would be prosecuted.

Cincinnati public school officials issued an alert Thursday that said, “We have recently learned of a TikTok challenge that may take place on Friday, December 17. It is our understanding that the challenge encourages students to make threats of shootings, bomb threats and violence against schools.”

The Associated Press reported Thursday that schools in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois and Montana said there would be an increased police presence because of the threats.

“At least one school district in Kaufman, Texas, announced plans to close the high school for the day in response,” the AP reported.

Akers noted a TikTok challenge in September that encouraged students to vandalize school restrooms.

Officials at Owensboro Public Schools said in a statement that the district had received an online threat Wednesday night that was similar to others received across the nation as part of a Tik Tok challenge.

In a news release, Owensboro police said they were interviewing several people and had secured search warrants for social media platforms.

Daviess County Public Schools officials said they were also aware of “ a concerning nationwide message posted on social media.”

“This is a message that has been making the rounds on social media in communities across the country. Our DCPS Police Department and local law enforcement agencies are aware of these messages and are investigating the sources and providing enhanced security to our schools this week, the statement said. The Office of Homeland Security is aware of this situation and has confirmed that the message being shared in our community is the one being spread across the country.”

School officials said the threat was not credible.

The TikTok communications team said on Twitter Friday that local authorities, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security confirmed there’s no credible threat, “so we’re working to remove alarmist warnings that violate our misinformation policy.”

“If we did find promotion of violence on our platform, we’d remove and report it to law enforcement,” the post said.

Akers told the Herald-Leader that as of Thursday afternoon he had not been told of any threats in Kentucky related to the most recent TikTok challenge. However, he said that Kentucky schools received multiple threats in the aftermath of a school shooting in Michigan earlier this month.

“Let’s hope common sense will prevail and all will be calm the rest of this week,” he said in the letter.

In Lexington, Liggins asked parents to make school officials aware of “any concerning posts.”

Friday is the last day of school in Fayette County before winter break.

“It is important for our students to understand that their words matter, and their actions online can have serious consequences both at school and in the legal system. We live in a day and age where every threat is investigated; things they may think are funny can easily escalate into serious issues,” Liggins said in his letter.

“We have taken and will continue to take all necessary steps to safeguard our students, employees, and campuses,” he said. “At this time, we are closely watching social media and working with our FCPS Police Department as well as the Lexington Police Department about this social media prank.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 8:33 PM.