Middle school students create over 20 fake TikTok accounts posing as teachers in Great Valley School District in Chester County

CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. (WPVI) — A group of middle school students are behind more than 20 fake social media accounts posing as their teachers in the Great Valley School District in Chester County.

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District leaders released a statement Sunday confirming that 22 fake TikTok accounts were created to impersonate middle school teachers.

“It saddens us to know that the students to whom these teachers dedicate their time and talents every day would misuse technology in a way that causes teachers undue stress and emotional hardship,” Superintendent Daniel Goffredo said in the statement.

School officials say it has been confirmed that several students at the school were behind the accounts.

After consulting with law enforcement, the district took action at the school level, holding an assembly for eighth-graders to address social media responsibility.

A letter was also sent to the students’ families, informing them of what happened.

Authorities say no legal action can be taken outside of school because the accounts were created on students’ personal time and may represent their right to free speech.

“The District has worked within the parameters of the law and our legal rights to take disciplinary action when we were able to do so,” Goffredo wrote. “We also have an obligation to protect the confidentiality of our students and are limited in the details we can provide about the specific disciplinary actions taken.”

Great Valley Middle School also invited the attorney general’s office to speak to students and families at the school about social media and the dangers it can pose if used improperly.

Officials said they met one-on-one with the affected teachers to address the issue of the fake accounts. Their photos have also been removed from the online yearbook, according to the district.

“We take this very seriously,” Goffredo said. “As a district, one of our goals is to create welcoming and inclusive spaces for everyone. That certainly includes our teachers. While we would like to do more to hold students accountable, we are legally limited in the actions we can take when students communicate off campus outside of school hours on personal devices.”