Big Spring ISD: ‘Cat in the Hat’ TikTok Post Not a Credible Threat

BIG SPRING, TX — A TikTok post that named several Big Spring Independent School District students and appeared to contain a threat was not a real threat but part of a nationwide social media trend, Superintendent Jay McWilliams said Monday.

McWilliams said he learned of the post about 6:45 a.m. Monday. He turned the matter over to high school administrators and the district’s school safety and security director. 

Officials determined the post was part of a TikTok trend circulating across the country that uses AI-generated images of the Cat in the Hat character from the children’s story in suspicious situations. The trend is intended to intimidate and therefore poses a safety concern for the district, McWilliams said in a written statement. 

Just last week, we reported that Menard ISD also has an issue with the disturbing trend. You can read more on that HERE. 

High school administrators called any student named in the post to the office. Parents of those students were also contacted and informed of the situation. 

The district’s safety director contacted the Big Spring Police Department and shared information received from a parent who first alerted officials. Police investigated the matter and will continue to monitor it, McWilliams said.

“Student and staff safety are of paramount importance to the district,” he said. “We take every post or threat seriously and will always thoroughly investigate every instance this occurs in our district.”

McWilliams thanked the parents who contacted him and encouraged anyone who feels threatened or sees threats against students or others in the district or community to notify school officials or law enforcement immediately. 

School safety remains a top priority, he said, and the district is committed to making students and staff feel safe at school.