School official frustrated over new trend on social media

>> The Reporter: YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAY, OUR SCHOOL DISICTRTS ACROSS THE COURYNT DEALING WITH THIS TIK TOK BATHRMOO CHALLENGE, AND LIKE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, OFFICIALS HERE IN MARTIN COUY,NT WELL, THEY'RE WARNING STUDENTS HERE WHO PARTICIPATE. >> JUST SOMETHING ON THE BACK, LIKE A HOLDER, AND THEY'LL RIP IT OFF THE HOLDER AND THEN PUT IT IN THE TOILET. >> Theep Rorter: THIS IS A PHOTO OF WHERE ONE OF THOSE SOAP DISPENNERS ENDED UP. FRANK IS THE DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND SECURITY HERE AT THE MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRT.IC >> IT'S ON TIK TOK AND WHAT THEY'RE DOINGS I THEY'RE DOING DAGEMA TO BATHROOMS, SUCH AS RIPPING OFF SPOA DISPENSERS, THROWING IT IN TOILETS, STOPPING UP TOILETS, THEN POSTING IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. >> The Reporter: HE SAYS, IT'S CALLEDHE T BATHROOM, OR DEVIOUS LICKS CHALLENGE, WHERE STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COURYNT WHO PARTICIPATE RECORD THEMSELVES TRASHING BATHROOMS IN SCHOOLS FOR LIKES AND FOLLOWS. >> WHAT'S HAPPENING IS, EVERYTHING IS IN THE NOW, HOW MANY LIKES CAN WE GET, AND THEY REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS. >> The Reporter: AND HE SAYS, THERE'S MORE. >> THERE'S TWO PARTS TO THE ACTUAL CHALLENGE, ONE IS WHAT I JUST MENTION,ED AND THE SECOND ONE IS TRYING TO TAKE PROPERTY FROM A TEACHER AND THEN POSTING THAT ONOCIA SL MEDIA AS WELL. >> The Reporter: THE INCIDENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT EACHID MDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL HERE IN THE DISTRICT. ONE PRINCIPAL SENT THIS RECORDED MESSAGE TO PENARTS. >> IT IS MY HOPE THAT YOU WILL SPEAK WITH YOUR CHILD THIS EVINENG, TONS EURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPECTING THEMSELVES, OTHERS, AND OUR SCHOOL PROPERTY. >>> OFFICIALS ATTIC TOBAGO SAY THEY'RE REMOVING THE CONNTTE AND REDIRECTING HASHTAGS AND ALSO RELEASED A STATEMENT, WHICH IN PART READS, WE EXPECT OUR COMMUNITY TO STAY SAFE,ND A CREATE RESPONSIBLY. AND WE DO NOT ALLOW CONTENT THAT PROMOTES OR ENABLES CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. >> DEPENDENT ON HOW MUCH DAMAGE IS CAUSED OR IF YOU'RE ACTUAYLL TAKING SOMETHING PERNASOL PROPERTY FROM A TEACHER, THAT'S A CRIME. WE'RE GNGOI TO PUNISH U,YO TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, TO WHATCH SOOL DISCIPLINE AS WELL. >> The Reporter: AND HE ALSO SAYS, HE'S ASKING ANYONE WHO SAW SOMETHING TO SAY SOMETHING, AND HE SAYS, THERE AREEV SERAL VENU,ES PLATFORMS, STUDENTS CAN USE TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. REPORTING LIVE IN MARTIN COU

'Everything is how many likes we can get': School official frustrated over new trend on social media

New trend on social media is causing concerns with officials at the Martin County School District

Updated: 10:49 AM EDT Sep 18, 2021

A new trend that's going viral on TikTok across the country has school officials concerned.Many districts are worried about a trend known as the "bathroom" or "devious lick" challenge, where students record themselves trashing bathrooms in schools for likes and follows."It's on TikTok,” said Frank Frangella, the director of safety and security at Martin County School District in Florida. "What they're doing is they're doing damage to bathrooms, such as ripping off soap dispensers, throwing them in toilets, stopping up toilets then posting it on social media."Frangella said the challenge has two parts."The second one is trying to take property from a teacher and then posting that on social media as well," Frangella said.He said incidents have happened at all of the middle and high schools in the district."What's happening is everything is now how many likes can we get," Frangella said. "They really don't understand the consequences of their actions."Officials with the social media platform said the videos are being removed."We expect our community to stay safe and create responsibility, and we do not allow content that promotes or enables criminal activities. We are removing this content and redirecting hashtags and search results to our Community Guidelines to discourage such behavior," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement sent to sister station WPBF.School district officials said they are asking parents to please speak with their children about the seriousness of these types of offenses, as in-school disciplinary consequences and the potential for legal action are severe.

A new trend that's going viral on TikTok across the country has school officials concerned.

Many districts are worried about a trend known as the "bathroom" or "devious lick" challenge, where students record themselves trashing bathrooms in schools for likes and follows.

"It's on TikTok,” said Frank Frangella, the director of safety and security at Martin County School District in Florida. "What they're doing is they're doing damage to bathrooms, such as ripping off soap dispensers, throwing them in toilets, stopping up toilets then posting it on social media."

Frangella said the challenge has two parts.

"The second one is trying to take property from a teacher and then posting that on social media as well," Frangella said.

He said incidents have happened at all of the middle and high schools in the district.

"What's happening is everything is now how many likes can we get," Frangella said. "They really don't understand the consequences of their actions."

Officials with the social media platform said the videos are being removed.

"We expect our community to stay safe and create responsibility, and we do not allow content that promotes or enables criminal activities. We are removing this content and redirecting hashtags and search results to our Community Guidelines to discourage such behavior," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement sent to sister station WPBF.

School district officials said they are asking parents to please speak with their children about the seriousness of these types of offenses, as in-school disciplinary consequences and the potential for legal action are severe.