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TikTok continues to drive entertainment, especially for teens. But one TikTok trend may have gone too far, according to Austin ISD.
The "TikTok bathroom challenge" has officially reached AISD, where students are destroying school bathrooms. Lively Middle School recently sent a letter to parents about the challenge informing them that if this vandalism continues, they will need to occasionally close restrooms for cleaning and repairs.
Though the letter said they have been able to catch a majority of the students, the school is still asking parents for their help in educating their children on the gravity of vandalism and monitoring their social media accounts.
Part of a nationwide trend, the challenge was born from students showcasing their "devious licks" as the new school year started.
On Sept. 1, a new trend started when TikTok user @jugg4elias shared a video of themselves pulling a box of disposable masks out of their backpack claiming the theft as a "devious lick," which gained over 239,000 views within a week.
Five days later, another user @dtx.2cent, whose account is now nonexistent, shared a video of themself opening their backpack revealing a stolen hand sanitizer dispenser from school also claiming it as a "devious lick." This post gained over 7.2 million views within two days.
As part of students across the country showcasing their "devious licks," the TikTok bathroom challenge came to life.
On the platform, students have tried one-upping each other on stolen items and other forms of vandalism. The trend has featured teens stealing fire extinguishers, fire alarms, brooms, clocks, security cameras, laptops, wet floor signs, bathroom mirrors, water fountains and even a smartboard. Some videos even capture students in action while taking apart their school's plumbing systems.
One YouTube channel named tiktoktrends created video compilations of all the TikToks from this trend.
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NAACP, University of Texas students file complaint against 'Eyes of Texas' as controversy continues
07 September
The Longhorn Band played its school alma mater at Texas' first football game just after the NAACP filed a complaint against the school's support for its song. (Texas Longhorns/Twitter)
In the latest play on the "Eyes of Texas" chessboard, the NAACP of Texas, its University of Texas chapter and five anonymous UT students have filed a civil rights complaint against the school for creating a "hostile environment" for Black students as the school continues to back its controversial alma mater.
According to The Texas Tribune, the complaint says that the continued playing of the alma mater and failure to address racial harassment against the song's opponents and Black students violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The school decided that the song had "no clear racist intent" after research in the spring and continues to support the playing of the alma mater. But those who disagree cite that the song debuted at a minstrel show where students likely wore blackface.
In response to continued pushback while facing pressure from angry donors supporting the song, the school decided to create a second band in which students do not have to play the song. The complaint states that this decision "violates equal protections afforded under the Fourteenth Amendment" according to the Tribune.
A member of student activist group Cops off Campus that staged a protest against the song at the school's annual "Gone To Texas" event, said that the separate band decision wasn't a solution to their demands. The student wished to remain anonymous to avoid backlash.
"The establishment of separate bands, really only solves part of the issue," the member said. "If a band still exists, and the school song is still 'The Eyes of Texas,' and it's still being played, then nothing is fundamentally changed. So it's not really any meaningful compromise."
The complaint states that continuing to keep the song "despite its racially offensive origin, context and meaning" leaves many Black students uncomfortable and unable to fully enjoy their college experience. In the complaint, five anonymous students said they felt ostracized by the university for not agreeing with the playing of the alma mater.
The NAACP filed the complaint one day before the Longhorns' first football game and a few weeks after the first protest of the song this semester, when a few dozen student activists protested the song at the school's annual "Gone to Texas" event.
The complaint and protests this semester show that the "Eyes of Texas" issue is far from over.
"If they don't take our demands seriously, we're going to continue to disrupt their events," the member said.
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Austin will continue masking in schools and city facilities despite a Texas Supreme Court ruling that barred that action in Dallas and Bexar counties. (Austin ISD/Facebook)
Austin Independent School District is holding its ground with mask mandates despite a back-and-forth ruling from courts across the state.
While a Monday court decision in Bexar County ruled local officials can allow face masks in public schools, the Texas Supreme Court ruled on Sunday against the same precautions in Dallas and Bexar counties. The Supreme Court ruling was a win for Gov. Greg Abbott, who barred local mask mandates, but it doesn't seem to be a done ordeal.
Nevertheless, AISD will join both Dallas and San Antonio in requiring masking in its schools as the school year starts on Tuesday.
Masks will still be required in all Austin ISD schools and facilities.
***
Los cubrebocas son obligatorios en todas las escuelas e instalaciones del Austin ISD. https://t.co/yoMUpfZhRE
— Austin ISD (@AustinISD) August 16, 2021
The school district sent a reminder via email to parents after the Sunday Supreme Court ruling, quoting Travis County Judge Andy Brown on the city's decision to keep masks in schools.
"Until we end up in litigation directly with the governor, we're going to keep our requirement that public schools require masks in place," Brown told KUT.
The decision comes in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott, whose executive order in March prohibits local governments from enforcing masking for businesses, schools or government properties. Austin kept its mask rules long after Abbott's order and was subject to a lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton later that month.
Paxton responded to the Supreme Court decision and warned other districts with mask mandates, including Austin, to "let this ruling serve as a reminder" that "the Governor's order stands."
Breaking: TX Supreme Court sides with the rule of law. Today, SCOTEX has ordered Dallas Co & Dallas ISD to follow Exec. Order GA-38. Local mask mandates are illegal under GA-38. Let this ruling serve as a reminder to all ISDs and Local officials that the Governor's order stands. https://t.co/s7AUVCXlJ1
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) August 15, 2021
In a statement on Sunday, the city of San Antonio responded to the ruling and said that Bexar County's mask mandate, which includes all pre-K-12 public schools and city facilities, will remain in effect.
"The City of San Antonio and Bexar County's response to the Texas Supreme Court continues to emphasize that the Governor cannot use his emergency powers to suspend laws that provide local entities the needed flexibility to act in an emergency. His suspension authority is meant to facilitate action, not prohibit it," San Antonio City Attorney Andy Segovia said in a statement
In a similar fashion, Dallas ISD announced on Sunday it would also continue mask mandates within schools, though nearby Irving ISD said they would adhere to Abbott's order.
Previously scheduled hearings on mask mandates in both counties will begin as scheduled on Monday.
Austin remains in Stage 5, the highest of its risk-based recommendations, and continues to uphold a mask mandate in schools and city property in defiance of Abbott's orders. Mayor Steve Adler said that the city will continue to enforce masking, especially within Austin schools, until the state reaches a final decision.
This ruling does NOT address or decide whether school mandates are valid, nor does it rule against the local @AustinISD order, mine, the @AusPublicHealth or @TravisCoJudge's. While we await a final decision, we believe local rules are the rules. https://t.co/lNt5etPwby
— Mayor Adler | Get vaccinated! (@MayorAdler) August 15, 2021
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AISD to offer virtual options this fall for K-6th grade students as pediatric COVID cases rise
26 July
Austin ISD is reintroducing virtual learning options for kindergarten through sixth grade students as COVID cases continue to rise. (Pexels)
Days after Austin began once again recommending masks in public spaces, Austin ISD announced Monday that kindergarten through sixth-grade classes will have virtual options this fall.
The district will discuss the move in a special board meeting Monday evening starting at 5 p.m., while full details will be released Friday.
Teachers will not have to fret about the new option—no educators will have to juggle both virtual and in-person learning. Instead, certain teachers will specialize in virtual education, according to a press release.
The news comes after a recent spike in COVID cases in Travis County and across the nation. Children typically suffer fewer symptoms of COVID when contracted, but they are now catching the virus more often than their older counterparts without a vaccine available to them and as the more contagious Delta variant is quickly being spread.
While local health officials are recommending everyone wear masks, public school districts are unable to mandate masks due to an executive order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott in May.
Parents have expressed concern about classrooms with masks unenforceable and children under the age of 12 ineligible for a vaccine. Some have even said they would look for alternative schooling if AISD did not offer a virtual option for students.
The board meeting will be featured on AISD.TV and Facebook.com/AustinISD starting at 5 p.m. and will discuss more details on the virtual option.
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