Franklin Matters: FYI - Franklin (MA) Public Schools, Franklin Police prepare for another TIkTok challenge

Thursday, December 16, 2021

FYI - Franklin (MA) Public Schools, Franklin Police prepare for another TIkTok challenge

Please see the attached message from the Office of Superintendent and the Franklin Public Schools

Dear Franklin Families,

I find myself in the unfortunate position of, once again, writing to inform you of the latest TikTok challenge. There have been reports of a “School Threat Challenge" encouraging followers, on Dec. 17, 2021, to call in bomb threats, school shooting threats, etc., at schools in the United States. We do not believe these posts originated in our area.

We must remain vigilant when it involves these types of threats. Any situation that involves threats to our schools is taken seriously and acted upon immediately using our well-established threat assessment protocols. Our partnership with the Franklin Police Department is an essential component for quickly investigating and assessing the level of concern. As a precautionary measure, we have notified the Franklin Police Department, and we will have a police presence at each school tomorrow. As of this afternoon, Dec. 16, 2021, the Franklin Public Schools have not received any threats.

As I stated in my last “November Tik Tok Challenge” communication, social media is a powerful tool often used to influence others, and not always for good. I enlist your support and strongly encourage you to discuss the negative impact of engaging in inappropriate TikTok challenges with your children. Students must understand that making violent threats towards the school is a criminal act, and violators will face disciplinary action, including suspension, expulsion, and criminal charges for making threats against the school.

Despite the apparent threat these trends present to our community, many of our students are engaging in positive behaviors across the district worth acknowledging.

I hope this information allows you to connect with your children about the concerning content on TikTok and other social media platforms. For resources on how to support your children’s healthy and safe technology use, we encourage families to access Common Sense Media for their social media monitoring guidance.