The Wissahickon School District sent out two emails today to update the community on a threat to schools (nationwide) that was on TikTok. Please note that the threat was not specific to Wissahikcon’s schools. The first email provides details on the threat and disruptive aspects of social media. The second announces that there will be a police presence at the district’s schools on December 17th.

The text from the first email:

The district is aware of a disturbing post that is circulating nationally on social media, primarily on TikTok. This post is encouraging acts of school violence tomorrow, Friday, December 17, 2021. This is a general threat circulating across the country. We want to be clear that there is no specific threat associated with the Wissahickon School District or any of our schools. 

Out of an abundance of caution, we are notifying all families of this matter to encourage all parents and guardians to talk with their children. Wissahickon School District takes student and staff safety seriously. As always, we are working with our local police departments to ensure a safe and productive school day. School is and should be a safe place for students and staff to engage in meaningful teaching and learning. Our schools will not be a place where disruptive, disrespectful, and dangerous behaviors encouraged by social media will occur. Any students who threaten or commit acts of violence will be addressed swiftly and will be subject to disciplinary consequences. 

We continue to explore what can be done to stop social media platforms from being places where these types of disruptive and threatening messages are circulated. It is unfathomable that platforms allow for such things to remain posted that cause fear and intimidation, threaten the well being of students and staff, and potentially incite people to violent action against others. 

The text from the second email:

In response to the nationwide social media (Tik Tok) post that makes a blanket threat against all schools in the country (and references 12/17/21), we will have police presence at all six of our schools tomorrow out of an abundance of caution.  We are very appreciative of the relationship we have with our local law enforcement partners, and tomorrow both Lower Gwynedd and Whitpain police officers will be chipping in.  Please know we have no evidence whatsoever of this threat being credible here in Wissahickon, but we are taking this additional security step in order to add an extra layer of confidence to the day tomorrow.

We will provide an update if necessary.