'Slap A Teacher' TikTok Challenge Reported On Austin ISD Campus

Austin TX

14 October, 2021

2:04 PM

Description

AUSTIN, TX — Austin ISD has confirmed the TikTok challenge to "slap a teacher" happened at one of the district's campuses this month. An Austin ISD spokesperson did not provide further details on the incident but did say they are encouraging families to talk to their children about the challenge's serious consequences. The challenge, which has been trending on the social media platform, is where students slap teachers and steal or damage the school on a TikTok video. Live in Austin? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone. Last week, the district said in a newsletter some middle schools have been damaged due to the TikTok challenge. "No one deserves to be assaulted for a social media challenge, much less our teachers, who have an important job to do and have earned our respect," the newsletter said. "We want to be proactive instead of disciplining students after they do something wrong." The district said it is prepared to talk to students about what the consequences would be if they try the challenge. They are also encouraging parents to talk to their children about the TikTok challenge and reinforce campus expectations. Officials said plans circulating online show there will be a TikTok theme each month — September's challenge was to steal school items. AISD said discipline is conducted on a "case-by-case basis" and their focus is on prevention. The Texas Education Code shows a student could be expelled or sent to an alternative school if they assault a teacher.