Students incited by TikTok craze target Port High School

A rash of vandalism and thefts incited by a viral TikTok challenge sweeping the nation has become so bad at Port Washington High School that Principal Thad Gabrielse has warned that students involved in the craze could be criminally prosecuted and threatened to lock down bathrooms.

Soap and towel dispensers have been torn off the walls and toilets damaged in just about every bathroom at Port High by students participating in the social media site’s “Devious Licks” challenge, Gabrielse said. 

Students have used soap packets from the dispensers to clog toilets, stuffed plastic lunch trays containing food into sanitary wipe dispensers and stolen items that range from locker room shower heads to classroom supplies such as markers, erasers and staplers.

The problem became bad enough last week that Gabrielse sent a letter to parents warning that students caught vandalizing or stealing from the school will not only lose school privileges like attending homecoming activities or participating in sports but also will be referred to police for criminal prosecution.

Gabrielse, who appealed to parents to “send a message to students about respecting our school,” did, however, offer amnesty to students who returned stolen items by the end of the day Monday.

“We did have a couple of items returned,” he said late Monday. “It was good to see that at least some kids took responsibility, although unfortunately it wasn’t a large group.

“If we do get any info on students who continue to do this, we’ll follow up with the police department to prosecute this as vandalism and theft and lock down bathrooms.”

If the school closes bathrooms — not only to prevent further vandalism but because they are unsanitary without soap and towel dispensers — it will keep a handful open  that will be supervised by administrators, Gabrielse said. 

“That clearly wouldn’t be the best use of administrators’ time,” he said.

Gabrielse does not yet know how much it will cost to replace and repair stolen and damaged items, but beyond the cost, products such as soap and towel dispensers are difficult to find during the lingering pandemic, and custodians tasked with sanitizing the school are being further taxed by having to clean up after vandals, he said.

“We had a custodian in over the weekend repairing toilets,” Gabrielse said. “This type of work takes away from all the other things they do.”

Gabrielse said the damage done at Port High is undoubtedly the work of a relatively small group of students, and he hopes parents will help put an end to the senseless destruction. 

“The hope is the email sent to parents was the topic of conversation around the dinner table this weekend,” he said. “I heard from a number of parents who were very supportive.”

TikTok’s “Devious Licks” challenge has been blamed for thefts and vandalism in schools throughout the country, prompting local and state officials to call on TikTok to ban users who participate in the craze. 

Gabrielse has another suggestion for the social media site. 

“How about a get-your-homework-done TikTok challenge,” he said.