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TikTok Challenge: Warning and Update
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Extended Uxbridge Community:
In recent weeks, our school administration has dealt with a number of escalating issues connected to social media “challenges,” specifically something called the “Devious Licks” Tiktok challenge that encouraged students to vandalize or steal objects form schools. More than a dozen restroom soap and paper towel dispensers had to be replaced, and significant staff time and resources were devoted to cleaning and repairing following vandalism, primarily in restrooms, over several weeks. The impact has been thousands of dollars in both damage and hours of work in addressing and investigating these situations.
Even more concerning, the next “challenge” for October, according to posts on social media, is to “slap a staff member.” We are asking our parents and guardians to have conversations with your students (and encourage students to have conversations with their peers) about the potential disruption, discipline, and criminal charges that could result. Touching or striking a school district staff member, whether in the face or on any part of their body, is a criminal offense that, minimally, will result in an exclusion hearing and long-term suspension from school. According to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, Section 37H: “Any student who assaults a principal, assistant principal, teacher, teacher's aide or other educational staff on school premises or at school-sponsored or school-related events, including athletic games, may be subject to expulsion from the school or school district by the principal.” We will follow the law should we be forced to respond to these behaviors.
We have the good fortune to have many upstanding students who will never engage in this behavior and who understand the grave consequences of these acts. However, we also understand the domineering influence of social media can sometimes push young people to make rash, reckless, and regrettable decisions, and thus push our school administrators to hold students accountable with severe consequences. We hope that you will partner with us - please talk to your students and peers about respecting school staff, fellow students, and school property. We do know that TikTok has vowed to remove videos and related hashtags associated with these “challenges,” and we likewise hope that the trend will be extinguished so that our schools can refocus on the academic, social, and emotional well-being of all our students.
We hope that we are not forced to respond to a situation like this in our schools, and we certainly appreciate your partnership toward those ends. As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely yours,
Michael D. Rubin, Principal
Uxbridge High School