Peninsula district says TikTok school threat ‘not credible,’ but being ‘closely monitored’

The Peninsula School District is “closely monitoring the situation” following a much-shared TikTok post threatening violence in schools, but does not believe the threat to be credible, the district told parents late Thursday.

“We have become aware of a troubling post that has been shared widely this week on the social media platform TikTok,” the unsigned Twitter post said. “The post refers to a threat to school safety ‘for every school in the USA, even elementary’ on Friday, Dec. 17.

“The post appears to be part of a national TikTok trend and did not originate in our school district. ... While we do not believe the threat to be credible, or directed at any Peninsula School District schools, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously,” the district said.

Tacoma Public Schools, reacting to the same threat, said they will be operating in a modified lockdown Friday.

“That simply means all exterior doors will be locked while classes operate as normal inside each school,” said Superintendent Carla Santorno.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord also notified personnel of the threat on Thursday. “Schools will operate as normal; however, JBLM Provost Marshal will have an increased military police presence around the on-base schools as added precaution,” the military post said on Facebook.

School districts across the United States reacted to the threat, according to the Associated Press.

In Gilroy, Calif., classes at the high school were canceled. School officials in states including Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, New York and Pennsylvania said Thursday there would be an increased police presence because of the threats.

In a statement on Twitter, TikTok said it was working with law enforcement to investigate. “We handle even rumored threats with utmost seriousness,” the statement said, “which is why we’re working with law enforcement to look into warnings about potential violence at schools even though we have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok.”

The threats outraged educators around the country.

“Whether done as a joke or with malicious intent, it’s unacceptable. We know our school personnel will do everything in their power to keep our students safe,” officials with the Iowa State Education Association, the Iowa Association of School Boards and School Administrators of Iowa said in a joint statement.

The Associated Press and News Tribune staff writer Craig Sailor contributed to this story.

This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 6:51 PM.