Steven SausJul 9, 2024

First-known TikTok mob attack led by middle schoolers tormenting teachers

https://midwest.social/post/14300049

First-known TikTok mob attack led by middle schoolers tormenting teachers - midwest.social

A bunch of eighth graders in a “wealthy Philadelphia suburb” recently targeted teachers with an extreme online harassment campaign that The New York Times reported was “the first known group TikTok attack of its kind by middle schoolers on their teachers in the United States.” According to The Times, the Great Valley Middle School students created at least 22 fake accounts impersonating about 20 teachers in offensive ways. The fake accounts portrayed long-time, dedicated teachers sharing “pedophilia innuendo, racist memes,” and homophobic posts, as well as posts fabricating “sexual hookups among teachers.”

Show threadTommySodaJul 9, 2024
If my kids did that I’d be perfectly fine with them getting kicked out of school or even press charges. I know teachers can be shitty but this is completely uncalled for unless they were actually doing those things
Show threadmacnielJul 9, 2024
Because the ends justify the means?
Show threadQuacksalberJul 9, 2024
What do you mean with your question? What those students did is slander and mobbing. Those are prosecutable offenses.
Show threadmacnielJul 9, 2024

I meant that comment in regard to

I know teachers can be shitty but this is completely uncalled for unless they were actually doing those things

Show threadidiomaddictJul 9, 2024

If they actually did those things, it wouldn’t be slander.

If I were to guess, I’d take it as “unless the kids knew/suspected with good reason they were doing those things”, because that’s how I would feel about it at least. I would still want to talk to them about appropriate responses and make sure they knew they could trust me, but kids don’t always know how to bring up adults’ misbehavior.

If it’s just a fluke, that would feel like an ends justifying the means situation.

Show threadFlying Squid

It would be harassment whether or not it’s true, so the teachers would still have reason to sue.

I just hope something happens with their parents too, because kids who do things like this tend to have shitty parents.

Jul 9, 2024 at 9:48amWeb
Show threadidiomaddictJul 9, 2024

I’d like to first of all say that I don’t see any reason to believe the teachers did this. I hope the police proceed under that assumption unless evidence leading otherwise turns up. My original comment was about why someone might not want their children punished as severely, if the teachers did in fact do these things to their students, but I don’t think it’s likely (and really hope it’s not the case).

It would be harassment whether or not it’s true, so the teachers would still have reason to sue.

That’s true, but it’s probably not a huge concern. Middle schoolers under that kind of pressure will react without thought to consequences and if their most grievous response is to harass their abusers, most courts would probably recognize that. I would still explain to them that they can trust me and that I’ll believe them if they tell me something like this in the future, before it gets to this point.

I just hope something happens with their parents too, because kids who do things like this tend to have shitty parents.

Agreed.