Atlanta, GA — A TikTok challenge has resulted in threats to schools across the country and precautions locally.

Atlanta Public Schools notified parents that they would see increased security measures at schools today, Dec. 17.

“Atlanta Public Schools has become aware of an emerging national TikTok challenge that encourages students to make threats to schools,” a spokesperson for APS said. “These posts have been shared widely on TikTok.  The troubling posts refer to threats to school safety “for every school in the USA” to occur on Friday, Dec. 17.

“The posts appear to be part of a national TikTok trend and did not originate in Atlanta Public Schools. We have heard reports from other districts that the same post is circulating in their schools. While we do not believe the threat to be credible, our Atlanta Public Schools Police Department and other metro-area law enforcement are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously. You may see additional security and police presence in our buildings on Friday as an added precaution.”

Parents at Druid Hills High School were also notified of an “online” threat, but the notification did not mention TikTok. The DeKalb County School District said the threat originated on “social media.”

On Dec. 17, the School District sent the following message to parents:

DeKalb County School District is aware of an emerging national TikTok challenge that encourages students to threaten schools. These posts have been shared widely on TikTok.  The troubling posts refer to threats to school safety “for every school in the USA” to occur on Friday, Dec. 17.

The posts appear to be part of a national TikTok trend and did not originate in DeKalb County Schools. However, we have heard reports from other districts that the same post is circulating in their schools. While we do not believe the threats to be credible, our Dekalb County Schools Police Department and other metro-area law enforcement agencies will be closely monitoring the situation.  We take it seriously.

You may see additional security and police presence in our buildings on Friday as an added precaution.

This situation serves as an excellent reminder of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if they are not credible threats, posting/sharing them can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. Therefore, we are asking parents/guardians to help by monitoring their children’s social media activity and speaking with them about proper behavior online.   Anyone who chooses to engage in this inappropriate behavior of making threats to the safety and security of our schools will receive consequences per our Student Code of Conduct.

If you or your child become aware of any potential threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please utilize our See Something Say Something number 678-676 1810 or notify a school staff member or trusted adult right away.

Ensuring a safe and secure learning environment requires all of us.

City Schools of Decatur also has been sending notices to parents. A notice that went out to Decatur High families said, “CSD is aware of a disturbing TikTok trend emerging across the country implying threats to schools. The messages did not originate in our district and no threat has been made against any of our schools. If your child calls or texts you during the school day, please let your child know that our schools remain a safe place for learning. You can also talk to your students about the danger of creating, resharing, or perpetuating this type of content.

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