A bunch of eighth graders in a “wealthy Philadelphia suburb” recently targeted teachers with an extreme online harassment campaign that The New York Times reported was “the first known group TikTok attack of its kind by middle schoolers on their teachers in the United States.”

According to The Times, the Great Valley Middle School students created at least 22 fake accounts impersonating about 20 teachers in offensive ways.

“I applaud the vast number of our students who have had the courage to come forward and report this behavior,” Souders said, urging parents to “please take the time to engage your child in a conversation about the responsible use of social media and encourage them to report any instances of online impersonation or cyberbullying.”

Following The Times’ reporting, the superintendent of the Great Valley School District (GVSD), Daniel Goffredo, posted a message to the community describing the impact on teachers as “profound.”

Instead, the middle school “briefly suspended several students,” teachers told The Times, and held an eighth-grade assembly raising awareness of harms of cyberbullying, inviting parents to join.

“I reiterate my disappointment and sadness that our students’ behavior has caused such duress for our staff,” Goffredo’s message to the community said.

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