GRANDVILLE, Mich. — Across the country, students are destroying school property and stealing items from classrooms as part of a new social media stunt.
The viral challenge on TikTok known as "devious licks," which is slang for theft, recently caused trouble at Grandville High School.
"My daughter has told me they've stolen ceiling tiles from the bathrooms. Big ceiling tiles! How do they leave property with ceiling tiles?" asked Jennifer Carpenter, a parent of a student at the school. "Soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers, and signs apparently throughout the school too."
Carpenter said her daughter's physics teacher had ten scientific calculators stolen, ones the teacher paid for herself.
In an internal letter sent to parents on Friday, Sept. 17., the high school's principal said the trend has forced them to close some bathrooms. Students responsible could face school discipline, as well as a misdemeanor or felony charges.
"The parents could sit down with their kids and talk to them about this challenge and tell them how important it is to remember, even though it seems like a fun prank, there are severe consequences," said Deputy Chief Renee Veldman of Grandville Police Dept.
Carpenter and her daughter came up with a way to help her teacher. They created a GoFundMe page to replace the stolen calculators and it has surpassed its $350 goal.
"Our community is going to come together and it's just going to take baby steps. This is one step my family can do to make an impact," Carpenter said.
If students have any information on the individuals responsible, they're being asked to contact a school administrator. They can also use the Silent Observer "Fast 50" program to report a crime.
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