TikTok challenge leads to vandalism at schools in Scott County

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WTVQ) – A challenge on a popular social media platform is being blamed for vandalism at several schools in Scott County.

The Georgetown News-Graphic reports students have stuffed bathroom toilets with large amounts of paper, soap dispensers have been torn off walls along with signs, towel dispensers and other items as part of the “Devious Licks Challenge” on TikTok.

The challenge, which has gone viral, encourages students to steal or vandalize school property and then show off what they’ve done on TikTok.

The social media platform announced plans to remove any videos associated with the challenge and redirect related hashtags following a series of reports of vandalism at schools from across the country, according to the report.

Vandalism has been reported at Scott County High School, Great Crossing High School and at every middle school in the county, according to the newspaper report.

The school district doesn’t have a financial cost from the damage yet, according to the report.

According to the report, Great Crossing High School Principal Joy Lusby sent an email to students and parents about the damaging challenge:

“Soap dispensers have been destroyed or removed (some have not been recovered).  Signs have been torn off walls (some haven’t been recovered).  Hand blower frames have been disassembled from the walls.  Mirrors have been removed from the walls (the entire mirror).  Screws have been removed from water fountains.  Toilets have been filled with ridiculous amounts of toilet paper.  Can lights have been destroyed in elevators.  Stone work in front of the school has been vandalized with ink.  The extra work this is putting on our staff (especially our custodial staff) is completely unnecessary.  This is not who we are and I need your help.  We need this nonsense to end immediately — there’s no reason for it.  The money to replace what is broken is one thing, but the manpower and time to get these items fixed or replaced is quite another.  Our custodial crew is already short-staffed and we need our brand new school cleaned, not repaired.”

The report says in an effort to stop the vandalism, students must sign-in and out of class to go to the restroom or take a backpack to the restroom.

The school is also reviewing camera footage in order to identify the culprits, according to the newspaper report.

Anyone caught would be suspended and could face charges for criminal mischief and theft, according to the report.  Students over the age of 18 could face criminal charges as an adult, according to the report.