A group of middle school students from the Great Valley School District in Chester County, Pennsylvania, is behind the creation of over 20 fake social media accounts impersonating their teachers. District leaders confirmed on Sunday that 22 fake TikTok accounts were made to mimic middle school teachers, causing distress among the faculty.
An assembly was held for 8th-grade students to discuss the responsible use of social media
Superintendent Daniel Goffredo expressed dismay in a statement, saying, “It saddens us to know that the students to whom these teachers dedicate their time and talents every day would misuse technology in a way that causes teachers undeserved stress and emotional hardship.”
After identifying several middle school students as the culprits, the district consulted law enforcement agencies and took action at the school level. An assembly was held for 8th-grade students to discuss the responsible use of social media and a letter was sent to the families informing them of the incident.
Legal and disciplinary limitations
While legal action outside of school was not feasible due to the student’s right to free speech and the accounts being created on personal time, the district worked within legal parameters to discipline the students where possible. “We also have an obligation to protect the confidentiality of our students and are limited in the details we can provide about the specific discipline action taken,” Goffredo explained.
Educational initiatives and support for teachers
Great Valley Middle School invited the Attorney General’s Office to speak to students and families about the responsible use of social media and its potential dangers. School officials also met individually with the affected teachers to address their concerns and removed their photos from the online directory to prevent further misuse.
“We take this very seriously,” Goffredo emphasized. “As a district, one of our goals is to create warm and inclusive spaces for everyone. That certainly includes our teachers. While we wish we could do more to hold students accountable, we are legally limited in what action we can take when students communicate off campus during non-school hours on personal devices.”