Tiktok trend leads to bathroom lockdown

Laney Turner and Teagan Redinger

A TikTok challenge in which students steal and vandalize school property reached Maize and caused administration to shut down bathrooms and monitor usage more closely.

The challenge, called devious licks, became a viral trend on the app and became a problem at schools around the country. In it, students take video of what they said they stole from schools or vandalized and post it on the app. TikTok has started to remove videos and the hashtag searches from the app.

Maize High had an increasing number of students steal soap dispensers among other things from bathrooms. One student who was reprimanded said it started off as a joke.

Yes, I did take two soap dispensers from the boys locker room,” senior Kaden Jaso said. “I meant it as a joke and didn’t think I would be in this huge mess. They are just soap dispensers afterall.”

After a few days of replacing the soap, administrators closed the south restrooms Tuesday and limited student access to the north restrooms. Students initially had to be escorted to the restroom but have since loosened that policy. The south restrooms remain closed. 

“I think it’s fine they have people standing outside the bathrooms just making sure we’re not coming out with stuff,” senior Toria Adams said. 

The policy put pressure on students to give up students who were responsible. By the end of the day, administrators had a list of suspects. 

“There is no such thing as bro code because my boys folded in two minutes,” Jaso said “But that’s beside the point, I now have community service and detention to do so that I do not get charged with a misdemeanor of theft.”

Not only does the destruction create more work for custodians and administration, the cost is adding to the newly renovated restrooms.

“I don’t really know how to put a dollar amount on the damage,” custodian Linda McCoullough said.  “But, we did have a couple of the dispensers returned this morning. That is a big positive.”