ATLANTA — School districts across the country are taking extra precautions after a social media trend going around on TikTok is dubbing Friday “American School Shooting Day.”
Atlanta Public Schools says the challenge encourages students to make threats against “every school in the USA” on Friday, Dec. 17.
[RELATED: Schools step up security in response to threats on TikTok]
The Polk County School District has made the decision to cancel school on Friday “out of an abundance of caution.” They say they are working closely with law enforcement personnel to make sure everyone remains safe.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Out of an abundance of caution, there will be no school on Friday, December 17, 2021, for Polk School...
Posted by Polk School District on Thursday, December 16, 2021
In a letter sent to APS parents and employees, officials say they do not believe the threats are credible, but are taking them seriously.
APS also plans to increase security and police presence in their buildings on Friday.
“This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about proper behavior online,” the letter reads in part.
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The Gordon County School District says that while they have not received any direct threats, they are still working closely with local police departments to ensure safety.
School officials even called on parents to monitor their children’s behavior on social media to keep incidents like this from occurring again in the future.
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Channel 2 Action News has reached out to several other school districts to see if they have received similar threats and are taking precautions.
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