Houston-area school officials, parents react to new, possibly dangerous social media trend

HOUSTON – The threats to classrooms and school districts across our nation quickly circulated through a social media challenge posted online. The challenge is what some officials called a general threat to all U.S. schools.

It called on students to disregard safety measures and warned of shootings and bomb threats.

Katy Independent School District said they found no specific threat to their district but asked students in 6th to 12th grade not to bring backpacks to class on Friday.

SEE ALSO: Several Houston-area school districts implement ‘No Backpacks’ policy for Friday due to social media trend

“It’s a sad world we live in and it’s not the first time here,” said Brad Taylor, a Katy ISD parent. “We had one about a month and a half ago where a kid posted a picture of a gun on Instagram.”

Jennifer Vardeman is the Director of the School of Communication at the University of Houston. She’s also studied the impacts of social media and is a parent to two Houston Independent School District students.

She told KPRC 2 she was notified of the threat Friday morning.

“Anytime you mention kids and a major threat like that, it’s going to go viral,” she said. “And these challenges on social media are attractive to people who want attention and who want to be able to say something to get likes and engagement from others. But, it’s still extraordinarily scary.”

In an interview Thursday, the newest Fort Bend Independent School District superintendent talked about an increase in negative social media activity.

SEE ALSO: KPRC 2 sits down with new Fort Bend ISD Superintendant

“I think there’s been 10 or 11 [threats] in the last few weeks. And they’re all different, but they’re centered around someone putting something out there that’s getting copied and duplicated and sent out again,” said FBISD’s Dr. Christie Whitbeck.

Whitbeck added that the district takes every threat seriously and those responsible would be prosecuted.

“Because we are not going to stop it until more and more people are made the example,” Whitbeck said.

Tik Tok is cooperating with law enforcement and working to investigate who is behind the threats.


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