Tik-Tok Threat: 2 Area School Systems Go Virtual Friday

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Two Birmingham-area school systems have opted for an e-learning day Friday due to a viral thereat on Tik Tok. Bessemer City Schools and Fairfield City Schools sent notice to their students' families Thursday regarding the threat.

The recent TikTok challenge is designed to encourage students to make violent threats against schools on Friday, which includes bringing weapons to school.

"Bessemer City School System has become aware of a troubling post that has been shared widely this week on the social media platform Tik Tok," Bessemer superintendent Autumn Jeter said in a letter to students and parents. "The post refers to a threat to school safety for every school in the USA, even elementary, on Friday, December 17."

Jeter told parents that the threat did not originate in their school system, but has gained enough traction that t posed a legitimate threat.

"While the threat is not believed to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously," Jeter said.

"This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats," Fairfield City Schools superintendent Regina Thompson said in a letter to parents Thursday. "Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families and staff."

Birmingham City Schools superintendent Mark Sullivan said he is also aware of the Tik Tok threat, and has worked with the Birmingham Police Department to provide tighter security in the city's schools Friday.

The December challenge is one of several in a string of monthly challenges stemming from the social media platform.

In September, another challenge called "Devious Licks" encouraged raucous acts of vandalism at schools, including schools in the Birmingham metro. To participate in the challenge, students and TikTok users shattered mirrors, stole soap dispensers, fire alarms and football field turf, and intentionally clogged toilets, all while filming the antics to post on TikTok.

While it's unclear where the December rumor originated, a news release issued by the Tooele County School District in Utah said the original threat started as a way for students to skip school, but "morphed into something much more disturbing."