ROUND ROCK, Texas — Round Rock ISD is concerned that a new social media challenge for the month of October will cause more disruptions following an increase in incidents connected to the TikTok bathroom challenge.
In an email, the district said according to posts on social media “slap a staff member” is this month’s next challenge. The email said slapping a staff member in the face or any part of their body is a criminal offense, assault on a public servant, which is a third-degree felony.
“Digital citizenship is becoming increasingly important as social media continues to play a larger role in our society, and we all need to do our part to ensure our students use social media in a safe and responsible manner,” the district said in an email.
The email also said campus administrators are seeing a rise in incidents connected to the bathroom challenge. Also known as the “Devious Licks” challenge, it encourages students to steal items such as wet floor signs, microscopes, clocks and hand sanitizer dispensers from their schools.
Over 100 restroom soap and paper towel dispensers had to be replaced at Round Rock ISD’s secondary schools. At high schools, stink bombs used in a restroom resulted in two schoolwide evacuations, mandatory gas line testing and approximately $10,000 in damage.
The district said the staff spent a “significant” amount of time cleaning after the acts of vandalism.
TikTok announced that it was removing all content that included the hashtag “deviouslick.” The social media platform’s Community Guidelines also say it will remove content that “promotes or enables criminal activities,” including theft.
Round Rock ISD said it is “pleased to hear” that TikTok is removing the videos. In the email, the school district asked parents to talk with their students about respecting staff, students and school property.
“We are asking our parents and guardians to please have conversations with your students (and encourage students to have conversations with their peers) about the disruptive nature of these challenges and the disciplinary consequences and potential criminal charges that could result,” the email said.
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