Bathrooms Closed At High School Due To Vandalism Inspired By 'Devious Licks' TikTok Trend

MANASSAS, VA — Several boys' bathrooms were shut down at Osbourn Park High School on Monday due to "significant vandalism." Administrators believed that the vandalism was inspired by the "devious licks" TikTok trend.

The school's second and third floor boys' bathrooms were closed on Monday to prevent further vandalism, administrators said. Three bathrooms on the first floor remained open.

The devious licks challenge that became popular on the social media app TikTok features children vandalizing or stealing from their schools. Often, the more audacious thefts or acts of vandalism receive greater attention from users.

"Last Friday, we experienced significant vandalism in our boys’ bathrooms, which included removing soap bags from soap dispensers to place them in the toilet, stuffing the toilets with paper towels, throwing trash throughout the bathroom, and stealing items from the bathrooms," Osbourn Park Principal Lisamarie Kane wrote in a letter to families. "This cannot be tolerated."

TikTok has said they are working to curb the spread of the trend on their platform.

"We expect our community to stay safe and create responsibly, and we do not allow content that promotes or enables criminal activities," a TikTok spokesperson told Patch. "We are removing this content and redirecting hashtags and search results to our Community Guidelines to discourage such behavior."

Kane said the school is taking steps to prevent further acts of vandalism when the bathrooms reopen on Tuesday.

"Beginning tomorrow, the bathrooms will reopen with an extensive monitoring plan to help prevent this vandalism from occurring" Kane said. "Please remind your students of the importance of respecting our school facilities and let them know that students involved in these incidents will be disciplined."

See also: 'Devious Licks' TikTok Trend Disrupts North Stafford High School.

The school did not say whether any vandalism has been reported in the girls' bathrooms, or whether the girls' bathrooms would be subject to a similar monitoring plan.

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