1 Comment
By Emily Banks Wooten
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The “devious lick,” a challenge on the social media application TikTok, has come to the Livingston Independent School District and LISD officials are not going to tolerate it.
In fact, any student involved in these actions could face the consequences of in-school suspension, school suspension, disciplinary alternative school placement or even criminal charges.
Through this challenge—which seems to have become something of a national phenomenon—students video themselves stealing property from their school or faculty and see what attention they can get from vandalizing school facilities.
“At this point, the vandalism of school property has been mild, but the theft of property from both the school and staff has been both monetary value and sentimental as well. Our dedicated custodial staff has gone above and beyond expectations to clean up after these poor decisions have been made by some of our students. Either way, these decisions by our students are wrong, and some students face the consequences of these poor decisions,” LISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brent E. Hawkins said in an email that was sent to parents Wednesday, seeking help.
“We reach out for your help in talking with your Lion or Lady Lion. In public schools, we must partner with our families to ensure that our values are taught and reinforced at home and school. We want our students to have great pride and ownership of their school and respect for all others in Lion Country,” Hawkins said.
The superintendent emphasized that the school district sees this as theft and vandalism, not as a joke or students “just playing around.
“I ask that you visit with your student about the seriousness of these types of behaviors. We need to send the united message to our students that theft and vandalism are wrong no matter how glorified it is on social media or the gratification that comes with this ‘challenge’ on social media. Our custodial staff deserves more respect than this, and our facilities belong to all of us. Regardless of what you see or hear on social media, please have these conversations with your student,” Hawkins said.
“This pandemic has been hard on everyone involved and we do not need social media to make life harder on anyone. We hope this can be turned into a positive in our community moving forward as a teachable moment for our young people,” he concluded.
