Elk Grove and San Juan school districts are affected by TikTok's 'Devious Lick' challenge.
One of the most recent popular TikTok challenges has resulted in vandalism at schools throughout the country, including Northern California.
The "Devious Lick" trend, which has been removed from the social media platform's trending search, entails vandalizing and ruining school property.
"It's difficult to quantify the expense of access to facilities that students require [restrooms]; it's significant," Xanthi Soriano, a spokesman for the Elk Grove Unified School District, said.
Natalie Fernández has two sons that attend Elk Grove's Sheldon High School. She stated that she was taken aback when she received an email containing photographs of the happenings at their school.
She believes that social media plays a role in this type of conduct.
"They are aware of it. Children laugh at whatever is stated in the video and then desire to go viral, which is something that individuals do for a job. Thus, someone is always hoping to be the next viral sensation, I suppose "According to Fernández.
Tyrone Perry Fernández, her son, stated that he has not seen any of the recordings but observed that numerous restrooms at his school had been shuttered.
"I looked at it through emails and thought, 'Oh my god,' there are so many things going on – I'm not sure where this graffiti is visible," the ninth-grader explained.
The worry is shared by several other school districts in the area.
According to a spokeswoman for the San Juan Unified School District, the district is also suffering graffiti, prompting the closure of specific restrooms for cleaning.
She said that school officials have been engaging with kids and families about the vandalism, which has resulted in costs associated with equipment replacement.
Barbara Edwards believes that parents should be held accountable for their children's behavior at school as well.
"If you learn who the child is, speak with their parents. Allow their parents to pay for it if they need to. However, children, particularly those entering high school, understand more – they understand better "According to Edwards.
Elk Grove officials stated that causing damage to or stealing from school property constitutes grounds for suspension. The school's staff is poring over social media posts in an attempt to identify individuals responsible.