LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — A South Carolina elementary school student may face expulsion for slapping a teacher that is being linked to a reported TikTok challenge, according to WSOC-TV and Lancaster County School District officials.
The student was participating in the “Slap a Teacher” challenge, in which students are dared to hit school staff members from behind and post video of the hits online, WSOC reported.
But TikTok claims the “Slap a Teacher” challenge did not originate on its platform, according to a statement from the company.
The rumored 'slap a teacher' dare is an insult to educators everywhere. And while this is not a trend on TikTok, if at any point it shows up, content will be removed. Learn more about practicing responsible behavior here: https://t.co/68VWesl9rf
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) October 6, 2021
“Sadly, we actually had an elementary student assault a teacher by striking her in the back of the head,” Bryan Vaugh, director of public safety and transportation for the Lancaster School District, said Friday in a Facebook post. “This type of behavior … is not a prank. It’s criminal behavior.”
District officials told WSOC that they reported the incident to the Department of Juvenile Justice. It comes after a previous TikTok challenge encouraged students to vandalize or steal school property and prompted disciplinary action against students of all grade levels across Lancaster County, Vaughn said.
“We’ve got people tearing up urinals and bathroom sinks, now we’re hitting teachers in the back of the head -- where does this gravitate toward?” Vaughn told WSOC. “It could leave a child arrested, a student not being able to graduate on time.”
On social media, Vaughn warned that students who assault staff members “will be held responsible both legally and by board policy.”
He urged parents to talk to their children and to monitor their social media habits.
“We also hope parents will speak with their kids about the serious repercussions of making poor decisions and peer pressure,” he added.
Editor’s note: The story was updated to include a statement from TikTok, denying any responsibility for the challenge.
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