Edmonds School District Superintendent Dr. Gustavo Balderas issued a statement Thursday acknowledging “a troubling post” that was shared nationally on the social media platform TikTok. While the district does “not believe the threat to be credible,” the district is “closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously.”

The Tacoma School District announced Thursday that all their schools will be operating in a state of lockdown Friday as a result of the TikTok threat.

Here is the full letter from Balderas:

Dear Families,

The Edmonds School District is aware of a troubling post shared widely this week on the social media platform TikTok. The post refers to a threat to school safety “for every school in the USA, even elementary,” on Friday, Dec.17.

The post appears to be part of a national TikTok trend and did not originate in our school district. We have heard reports from other districts in the area that the same post is circulating in their schools. While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously.

This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about proper behavior online.

If you or your child become aware of any threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please call 911 right away.

As always, thank you for your partnership as we work to ensure a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Gustavo Balderas

Superintendent