Threat Toward Solon High Found On Social Media App

SOLON, OH — A "troubling" social media app again made its presence felt in the Solon community this week, the school system said.

A threat to Solon High School was discovered Thursday on Yik Yak, a recently relaunched anonymous messaging app. The threat was investigated by police and deemed not credible, the Solon Schools said in a message to families.

Yik Yak employees worked with the Solon Schools to identify the user who sent the threatening message.

"We urge you to have a discussion with your child about using social media responsibly and the ramifications of their social media activity, even when they believe they are posting anonymously," the district said.

What is Yik Yak?

Yik Yak was a social media app that became popular in the mid-2010s and was shut down in 2017. The app allowed anonymous messaging and posting from users and the platform quickly became a home for cyberbullying and school threats, the New York Times reported. After numerous lawsuits, the company shut down and sold off its intellectual property.

The app, under new ownership, relaunched recently — with promises to implement "community guardrails" that would prevent widespread bullying and hate speech. The Solon Schools believe families should still be concerned about students using the app.

"These so-called “guardrails” do not prevent the negative comments from being posted or others within that five-mile radius from seeing them," the district said Thursday. School officials will continue to "closely monitor" the app for any additional bullying or threatening comments.

"If students or families bring concerns to us about threatening or harassing comments on the platform, we are encouraging them to make reports to the Solon Police Department," the district said.