TEXAS, USA — A viral TikTok trend is making its way into North Texas schools, and administrators aren't too pleased about it.
Several districts have reportedly been dealing with the "Devious Lick" or "Bathroom Challenge" trend where students steal common objects from school, soap dispensers seem to be a big target, and then show off their illicit collections on social media.
Or, they commit other acts of "vandalism," as one school principal described it in a letter to families.
Sanger High School Principal Jennie Flaa said they've noticed multiple reports of acts matching up with the trend at their school, so she issued a warning to families.
"As a strong, tight-knit community, we ask that our families speak to their children about social media, current trends taking place, and how these temporary fads can ultimately impact their future," she explained in a letter home. "Please know that damage and/or theft may be reported to local law enforcement and if our school staff determine who is responsible for theft or damage to our campus, there will be consequences."
Allen Independent School District officials said they are having problems with the trend too, in a letter sent to families. So they've upped the ante, saying anyone caught participating in the trend will face more severe consequences than their previous punishment for campus vandalism.
Students could now face potential suspension or be assigned to an "alternative setting," as well as potentially need to deal with local law enforcement if school officials believe they're the culprit. Students will also be responsible for "restitution."
Waxahachie ISD said earlier this week that some students "vandalized" 14 restrooms at Waxahachie High School, which led to thousands of dollars in damage.
"Waxahachie ISD and the Waxahachie Police Department will investigate this fully and pursue punishment for all students involved to the fullest extent of both the WISD student code of conduct and the criminal code," the district said in a Facebook post.
School districts in North Texas aren't the only ones dealing with the viral trend: it's happening at schools all across the country, USA TODAY reports.
TikTok, for its part, told USA TODAY it has removed content with the #deviouslick and other related hashtags, redirecting users to its community guidelines on such behavior.
But after a quick search, plenty of videos are still available showing related acts, especially without those hashtags, that still use the "sound" that goes with the challenge, a remix of Lil B's "Ski Ski BasedGod." There are plenty of versions of the remix on the app, and though TikTok appears to be targeting them, users can easily just post new versions of the same sound.
For digital natives, it's not hard to find a variation. One of the variations on the app, "original sound - minttea," had about 128,000 videos with the sound as of noon Thursday while this article was being written. But, by 12:40 p.m., that sound had been removed.
There are plenty of parody videos now, too, making fun of the trend, and others of people complaining about the antics.
Some of the videos, parody or not, have millions of views.
Stolen items shown include COVID-19 tests and masks, along with more mundane things like a "wet floor" sign. In some places, students are smashing bathroom mirrors or causing extreme damage to bathrooms, if the TikTok videos are to be believed.
Stolen toilets, sinks and broken water fountains are also popular fodder for the videos, although bathroom soap seems to be the most notorious item (for perhaps, obvious reasons).