Schools in Western Pa. reacting to general threats of violence posted on TikTok

A social media warning of potential violence at schools across the United States on Friday — largely deemed to be not credible — still had police and districts across Western Pennsylvania on alert.

“Greensburg Salem had all of our school police officers on duty, and our local police department was present in the morning and patrolling our building areas throughout the day,” Superintendent Kenneth Bissell said.

The same scenario played out at school districts across Westmoreland and Allegheny counties as well as the Alle-Kiski Valley and elsewhere. Many districts got out in front of the situation on Thursday after a vague message began to circulate on TikTok and other social media platforms. That included messages that extra security would be in place at schools in Pittsburgh, Fox Chapel Area, Kiski Area and New Kensington-Arnold, as well as others.

At Apollo-Ridge School District on Friday, Kiski Township Police conducted searches and took other safety precautions. Concern over the threats impacted attendance Friday. Attendance ranged from 73% to 84%. Attendance typically runs about 90% and higher, said Jamie Laws, district spokeswoman.

Apollo-Ridge Superintendent Matt Curci said, “It is very sad that students or families ever have to be concerned about their safety when going to school. The fact that these measures have become a regular part of the challenges schools face is disheartening to say the least, but we all keep fighting the good fight because the stakes are so incredibly important.”

At Greater Latrobe School District, Superintendent Georgia Teppert said in statement on the district’s website that “while we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously. Additionally, the district has been in contact with our school police regarding the post. As always, we will have our school police present in our buildings.”

“The post appears to be part of a national TikTok trend and did not originate in our school district,” Kiski Area Superintendent Misty Slavic wrote in a letter. “We have heard reports from other districts that the same post is circulating in their schools. While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously.”

Slavic said district officials contacted local police departments regarding the post. The district will have an increased police presence in school buildings.

In a notice posted on the district website, Fox Chapel officials said they may increase police presence as a precaution.

They are asking that only scheduled visitors come to district facilities Friday.

In a Facebook post, New Kensington-Arnold Assistant Superintendent Jon Banko said the district is increasing the police presence in and around school buildings “to hopefully provide students, parents, faculty and staff with a greater sense of safety and security in light of the circumstances.”

Leechburg Area School district is taking similar precautions, Superintendent Tiffany Nix announced Thursday.

“These social media posts warn of threats but are not specific to Leechburg, our area, or Pennsylvania and do not contain specific threats, schools, actors, or locations,” Nix wrote. “Leechburg (police), our security firm and our staff are aware. We will have extra security (Friday) and will be searching very thoroughly during bag check.

“Please expect delays in the admission morning process. We are taking this very seriously. Any student who chooses to engage in any threatening or harmful activity will be held to highest level of accountability.”

People are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to Safe2Say at 844-723-2729 or email info@safe2saypa.org as well as call 911 in the event of an emergency.

To ensure the safety of students and staff, state police since 6 a.m. have conducted over 60 domestic security checks at public and private schools in Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties.

“This is part of our ongoing efforts to reassure students, their families and school staff, and also to provide a highly visible deterrent to anyone who may wish to cause them harm,” a state police release reads. “We will continue to conduct these checks throughout the day as our operational needs permit.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was “aware of public reporting that suggests possible threats to schools on December 17, 2021. DHS does not have any information indicating any specific, credible threats to schools but recommends communities remain alert.”

TikTok officials on Thursday said they “handle even rumored threats with utmost seriousness,” adding that the company had “not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok.”

On Friday, TikTok officials expressed concern that widespread media coverage could prompt someone to attack people at a school.

“Media reports have been widespread and based on rumors rather than facts, and we are deeply concerned that the proliferation of local media reports on an alleged trend that has not been found on the platform could end up inspiring real world harm,” the company said.

There have been 24 shootings on school properties across the country since Aug. 1, according to an Education Week tracker. The most recent was Tuesday, when a teen was fatally shot in a school parking lot after a basketball game in Newport News, Va.

Gateway School District

Social media threats about school violence to take place Friday also impacted Gateway School District activities.

A special school board meeting was canceled Thursday, and Friday’s high school instruction was moved to remote learning.

Pittsburgh Public Schools

Pittsburgh Public Schools officials also posted an alert about the social media threats.

“While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously,” the alert read. “Our School Police have been in contact (with) city police regarding the post and will be on heightened alert. The Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania State Police are also aware of the posts.

“All school safety matters are taken seriously by the district. This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff.”

Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese schools

Michelle Peduto, director of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, also addressed concerns about the TikTok challenge pushing students to threaten gun violence within schools Friday.

She encouraged parents to talk with their children about such behavior, and said the diocese will respond quickly to maintain safety.

“As with all things, there is a negative and positive side to social media,” Peduto said. “It is wise to be overly cautious with children and their use of social media platforms. When used improperly and unsupervised, the consequences can be devastating. … We urge you to speak with your children about the potential consequences of engaging in this type of behavior and maintain vigilance with your children and their activity on social media.

“As always, we will act immediately if we have any indication of an unsafe situation in our schools. Any individual passing along threats or suggestions to act will be reported to law enforcement immediately and disciplined in accordance with the school handbook. Please continue to pray for our students and students everywhere.”

North Allegheny School District

Officials with the North Allegheny School District are working with Franklin Park, McCandless and Northern Regional police departments in regard to the threats.

Those departments will provide and extra presence at school buildings Friday, according to an alert sent out Thursday.

“The safety of our students and staff is always our highest priority,” the alert reads. “We take any threat very seriously and are grateful for the support of our students, families, and staff for helping us keep our schools safe.”