What happened at Malvern PA? Great Valley Middle School TikTok scandal explained

Disclaimer: The article has mentions of racism and homophobia. Reader discretion is advised.

Great Valley Middle School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has been in the headlines after a group of eighth-grade students created fake accounts of around 20 teachers on TikTok. The students began sharing inappropriate content through those profiles, with most of them being racist or homophobic.

Multiple students from the Great Valley Middle School have been suspended for being involved in the controversy. While some accounts have been deleted from the platform, others still exist. At the time of writing, there was no clarity on how many students were involved in the case.

However, two female students reportedly claimed through one of the fake accounts that the entire thing was intended to be a joke, which took a worse turn. While one of them said that she "never wanted to get suspended", the other one was heard saying:

"Move on. Learn to joke. I am 13 years old and you're like 40 going on 50."

Edward Souders, principal of the Great Valley Middle School, later condemned the entire incident as he spoke to the eighth-grade students during lunch break.

However, the school district had certain restrictions in terms of taking action since courts can take action only if the posts serve as a threat to everyone else inside the school. Superintendent Daniel Goffredo also shared a statement on the same which reads:

"While we wish we could do more to hold students accountable, we are legally limited in what action we can take when students communicate off campus during nonschool hours on personal devices."

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Great Valley Middle School teachers were active on other social media platforms

The TikTok attack on the teachers of Great Valley Middle School began in February this year and this included Spanish teacher Patrice Motz, who first discovered her fake account on the short video platform. The rest of the teachers also found their fake profiles in the next few days.

The students used the school's official website to obtain the pictures of the teachers and created memes by editing the photos and superimposing text. Many of the videos had s*xual content, including a collage where the faces of two male teachers were added to another picture of a man and woman in bed.

Notably, the victims were not active on TikTok and a few of them had accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Principal Edward Souders later sent an email to the parents of all the eighth-grade students, writing that the fake accounts depicted the teachers disrespectfully. Souders wrote:

"I bring this matter to your attention because, while I know that the world of social media is vast and constantly evolving, I also look to you as partners in your child's education to be vigilant about your child's social media activities. I would like to be clear that the number of our students who created these accounts is understood to be small."

Souders also appreciated the students who reported the incident at first, adding that the fake accounts accumulated a huge following and several comments. The email ended by requesting the parents to speak to their children on how to use social media responsibly. Furthermore, Souders asked the parents to encourage the kids to report any cases of cyberbullying.

"Your support in reinforcing the values of respect and responsibility will go a long way in creating a safer space for our students and staff both online and in person."

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Victims of the Great Valley Middle School speak up about their experiences

The TikTok incident at the Great Valley Middle School has resulted in a situation where teachers are hesitating to speak to the students, fearing that they may be targeted. A few victims even opted not to reveal their identities.

Faculty adviser for the Great Valley Middle School's student council, Shawn Whitelock, spoke up on his experience after the incident and said:

"I spent 27 years building a reputation as a teacher who is dedicated to the profession of teaching. An impersonator assassinated my character – and slandered me and my family in the process."

English teacher Bettina Scibilia also expressed her concern about everything that happened, adding that she was threatened by another student through TikTok and had to approach the cops for the same. She addressed the students and the incident by saying:

"They didn't feel what a violation this was to create these accounts and impersonate us and mock our children and mock what we love."

On the other hand, the president of the Great Valley Education Association Nikki Salvatico had already issued a warning to Great Valley Middle School this year, saying that TikTok was destroying the educational environment.