Education officials in California warned school faculty members Tuesday about a trend on TikTok that encourages students to slap their teachers on video.
The slapping trend reportedly started earlier in October, and one teacher in South Carolina was struck in the head, according to the Lancaster County School District.
“Educators beware!” the California Teachers Association posted. “As if widespread vandalism in our schools last month wasn’t enough, the same ‘challenge’ circulating on social media networks TikTok and Twitter is now calling for students to ‘slap a staff member.'”
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There have not been any reported incidents of teachers being slapped in the Los Angeles Unified School District, but the schools are on alert, a district spokesperson said.
TikTok will withdraw any videos that promote the challenge, a company spokesperson said.
@therealeddiebcomedy Advice for kids who want to do the “slap a teacher” challenge! #therealeddiebcomedy #teachers #teacher #fyp #teachersoftiktok #fyp
“Slapping a teacher, regardless of whether it results in injury, is assault and battery, and is completely unacceptable,” CTA President E. Toby Boyd said in a Tuesday memo.
“Recording in a classroom or on other school property without permission is illegal,” he continued. “In addition to potential serious harm to victims, a student perpetrator could face serious consequences, including expulsion or criminal prosecution.”
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This latest challenge became popular about a month after another TikTok trend saw students vandalize and destroy school property, especially restrooms, across the country.
