When students at Great Valley Middle School in Malvern decided to create 22 TikTok accounts impersonating their teachers, they likely didn’t anticipate the consequences. The accounts posted inappropriate content such as “pedophilia innuendo, racist memes, homophobia, and made-up sexual hookups among teachers,” according to a New York Times article that broke the story.
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Using staff members’ names as handles and creating memes ranging from “benign” to “sexualized,” the students managed to target about one-quarter of the school’s faculty. These fake TikTok accounts were the first of their kind in the United States, according to the New York Times.
Superintendent Daniel Goffredo expressed his disappointment in a statement on the district website.
“You may be aware that Great Valley Middle School students were recently highlighted in The New York Times because of their social media behavior during the 2023-2024 school year,” Goffredo said. “These students created fictitious TikTok profiles that impersonated our Great Valley Middle School staff members. … I reiterate my disappointment and sadness that our students’ behavior has caused such duress for our staff. Seeing GVSD in such a prominent place in the news for behavior like this is also disheartening.”
Principal Edward Souders took action by informing parents, holding an assembly on responsible technology use, and issuing brief suspensions to some students. School officials also met with the affected teachers individually and removed their photos from the online directory, as reported by 6ABC. Fake accounts that were identified on TikTok were deleted.
While legal action against the students was limited, Goffredo emphasized the importance of digital citizenship in the school’s curriculum moving forward. The incident had a profound impact on the staff, prompting administrators to focus on rebuilding a culture of trust and caring.
“As we plan for the next school year, I implore you also to use the summer to have conversations with your children about the responsible use of technology, especially social media,” Goffredo’s statement concluded. “What seemingly feels like a joke has deep and long-lasting impacts, not just for the targeted person but for the students themselves. Our best defense is a collaborative one. I have always valued your partnership and will continue to do so as we move ahead.”