Middle school students in Chester County are making national headlines for doctoring photos of teachers making them say and do inappropriate things and posting the videos on TikTok. The posting started in February and according to the New York Times posts have continued into the summer. The school district said it will hold the students accountable, but any legal action will be tricky. NBC10’s Tim Furlong has the details.
Students at a Chester County middle school created fake TikTok accounts of teachers in which they made lewd, racist and homophobic videos, officials confirmed.
The New York Times first reported on Saturday, July 6, that eighth grade students at Great Valley Middle School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, impersonated teachers at the school in TikTok videos that included allusions to pedophilia, racist memes, homophobic statements and false claims of sexual hookups. A spokesperson for the Great Valley School District confirmed in a statement that 22 fictitious TikTok accounts were created impersonating their teachers back in February of this year.
It was the first known group TikTok attack of its kind by middle school students on teachers in the United States, according to the New York Times.
“It saddens us to know that the students to whom these teachers dedicate their time and talents every day would misuse technology in a way that causes teachers undeserved stress and emotional hardship,” Great Valley School District Superintendent Daniel Goffredo wrote.
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The spokesperson said the school district reviewed the social media accounts and confirmed they were created by middle school students. School district administrators then consulted with law enforcement and legal counsel to determine what action could be taken.
“The challenge presented that these accounts were created outside of the school and may have represented students’ right to free speech,” the spokesperson wrote.
The spokesperson said “appropriate and permissible” action was taken on the school level. The school’s principal held an assembly for 8th grade students to address the responsible use of social media and emailed families of the students to notify them of the fake accounts.
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The New York Times also reported that several students were briefly suspended for their actions and that at least two students posted an “apology” video on TikTok using the name of a middle school teacher, though officials did not confirm this with NBC10.
“The District worked within the parameters of the law and our legal rights to enact discipline where we have been able,” Goffredo said. “We also have an obligation to protect the confidentiality of our students and are limited in the details we can provide about the specific discipline action taken.”
The district also met individually with the impacted teachers to discuss their concerns, provided them resources on how to protect themselves online, gave access to counseling services, removed all teacher photos from their online directory and welcomed the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office to speak with middle school students and families about the appropriate use of social media, according to the spokesperson.
“On a broader and more global scale, this incident sheds light on the challenges of technology and the importance of teaching students to be responsible digital citizens,” the spokesperson wrote. “The Great Valley School District’s Comprehensive Plan includes work to embed digital citizenship in all curricular areas at all levels.”
In an interview with NBC10, Nikki Salvatico, the president of the local teachers union, the Great Valley Education Association, said the fake TikTok posts left her "speechless." She said she is hoping parents remind their children of right and wrong and that everyone learns from what happened.
"In my classroom, I promote integrity, leadership and confidence so when no one is looking, you should be doing the right thing," Salvatico said. "We are all stakeholders in this and we all need to do a better job. Our social media networks need to do a better job. They have a stake in this just as much."
