School Safety and a TikTok Message
Posted on 12/16/2021
Good afternoon!
Schools and school districts across the country have become aware of a troubling post that has been shared widely this week on the social media platform TikTok. The post refers to a threat to school safety “for every school in the USA, even elementary,” on Friday, December 17. The post appears to be part of a national TikTok trend and did not originate in our school district. We have heard reports from other districts that the same post is circulating in their schools through social media. We are working together to communicate our message to our respective school district families. While the threat has not been determined to be credible at this time, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously.
Additionally, we are working with the Quakertown and Richland Police Departments that serve Quakertown schools through our School Resource Officers who are assigned to our schools regarding the post. As a result, we may have an increased police presence in or around our schools on Friday as an added precaution.
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 help by monitoring their children’s social media activity and speaking with them about proper behavior online. If you or your child become aware of any potential threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please notify a school staff member or trusted adult right away. If it is an emergency matter, please call 9-1-1.
As always, thank you for your support and partnership as we work to ensure a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for our students, staff, and faculties.
Have a good evening!
Bill Harner
Superintendent, QCSD