Crime & Safety

TikTok 'Slap A Teacher' Challenge Reported At Braintree School

Braintree Public Schools issued a letter to parents, informing them that there will be "severe consequences."

The Braintree School District says police have been notified of the situation.
The Braintree School District says police have been notified of the situation. (Dan Libon/Patch)

BRAINTREE, MA — Yet another viral TikTok trend has a Braintree student facing a potentially serious punishment for allegedly assaulting a teacher Thursday.

The school district issued a letter to parents saying the incident was inspired by a TikTok challenge called "Slap a teacher."

In the letter, the superintendent says the incident happened Thursday at a Braintree high school but didn't release which school.

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This incident comes after students have participated in recent TikTok challenges promoting vandalism and self-harm in schools throughout the country.

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The letter to parents explained that Braintree students have been involved in the challenges in the past.

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"...The most recent TikTok challenge involves 'slap a teacher,' and we had our first case in the district today," the district wrote to parents. "Please be aware that physically assaulting any staff member in the Braintree schools will immediately result in notification of the Braintree Police Department and significant school-based discipline, up to and including expulsion."

Patch reached out to Braintree police who said they were aware of the situation but declined to comment further.

The letter asked parents to talk to their children about consequences and explain how important treating others with kindness is, despite what a challenge says online.

"Although social media offers the potential of a more inter-connected world, the frequent appeal to abhorrent behaviors and debased language across the various platforms are a minefield for students," the letter read. "When they fail to navigate the situation appropriately, students often face severe consequences, both social and legal."

TikTok released a statement saying they are taking 'slap a teacher' seriously and all content surrounding it while be removed from the site.

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