The South Carolina school district said any student who does this will be expelled and face criminal charges.
A new TikTok challenge is causing children to be violent toward school staff members. The challenge, which is called “Slap a Teacher,” encourages students to slap educators. In one South Carolina county, at least one student has done so, according to school officials.
The student slapped a teacher in the back of their head, the school district said.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the Lancaster County School District said, “This type of behavior, just like theft and destruction of property is not a prank. It’s criminal behavior.”
The district said that another problematic challenge previously focused on vandalism and theft of school property, and that they had punished multiple students from all grade levels.
The district added that students who assault teachers will be expelled and held responsible legally.
The district urged parents to talk to their kids about social media and monitor their habits. They also encouraged parents to speak to their kids about peer pressure, poor decisions and the consequences that come along with that.
“If we can support parents in any way then please reach out to us. We hope by working together we can prevent future issues,” the school district wrote.
