Students in Pennsylvania had created fake TikTok accounts to impersonate their teachers by posting racist memes, homophobic videos, and more that could damage the faculty's reputations.
The New York Times reported that around 20 faculty members became victims of fake teacher accounts.
Pennsylvania Eighth Graders Behind TikTok Impersonating Accounts
According to the report, eighth graders at Great Valley Middle School in Malvern, Pennsylvania were behind the impersonating scheme against their teachers. A veteran Spanish teacher, who had never used TikTok, saw her fake profile with posts including her family photos.
The fake accounts were used to create pedophilia innuendo, made-up sexual hookups among teachers, racist memes, and homophobic posts. Patricia Motz, the Spanish teacher, is just one of the victims.
Some of the accounts have been deleted from the platform, however, hundreds of students have already viewed, followed, and commented on the accounts.
The school district announced that it suspended the students involved in the case. However, the school did not disclose how many students were responsible for the issue.
Social Media Exposure of Youth Becomes a Hot Topic
The investigation saw that students used photos from the official website of the school to edit photos and insert text for their memes. Several posts were sensitive content, intended to shame teachers.
The principal of the school, Edward Souders, wrote to the parents of all eighth graders to address the issue. In an email, he asked parents to guide their children on how to use social media responsibly.
"Your support in reinforcing the values of respect and responsibility will go a long way in creating a safer space for our students and staff both online and in person," he added.
Meanwhile, the school district finds it difficult to hold students accountable due to the courts' general protection of students' right to free speech off-campus.
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