Schools inform families of unconfirmed Tiktok threats

Reports of Tiktok posts warning of threats against schools across the country Friday led multiple Greater Columbus school districts, including Columbus City Schools, to notify families.

Columbus City Schools, in an email to families Thursday, stressed that the supposed threats did not originate within the school district.

“We have heard reports from other districts locally and nationally that the same post is circulating in their schools,” the email states. “While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously.”

Some districts across the country announced plans to close schools Friday in response to the rumors, even as others promised an increased security presence. Among the latter was Grandview Heights Schools, according to a Thursday email from Superintendent Andy Culp.

“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and we are collaborating with the Grandview Heights police department to closely monitor the situation and the safety of our schools. As a precautionary measure, GHPD will have an increased presence in our schools tomorrow,” he wrote.

Upper Arlington Schools indicated in a letter from Superintendent Paul Imhoff that it is collaborating with the Upper Arlington Police Division to closely monitor the situation.

“We have learned that there is a challenge circulating on the social media platform Tiktok that is promoting gun violence or making threats of violence at schools on December 17,” the letter reads. “This is not specific to Upper Arlington Schools, and we have no indication that there is any local connection to this challenge.”

Westerville City Schools sent a message that described the rumored Tiktok challenge as one that “encourages students to stay home tomorrow, December 17, citing the possibility of weapons in schools, school shootings, and bomb threats. This challenge is NOT specific to our district and does not mention any schools by name. It is a general post, circulating across our nation, and police departments are also aware of this matter.”

Pickerington Schools indicated in its note that officials are not aware of any credible threats and that “the posts did not originate from our area.”

Tiktok tweeted Thursday that it takes all threats seriously, “which is why we’re working with law enforcement to look into warnings about potential violence at schools even though we have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via Tiktok.”

Earlier this year, Tiktok was associated with another controversy involving schools.

The “Devious Licks Challenge” in September, for example, prompted students to damage and steal school property, as well as pilfer from their teachers. That led to some school bathrooms being closed across districts in Greater Columbus due to soap dispensers being ripped from bathroom walls. fake blood dumped in toilets and urinals, and more. rsmith@dispatch.com @Readryansmith