COLUMBIA, Tenn.--- A viral social media trend involving the “Cat in the Hat” has created concern in our school community and school districts nationwide. The "Cat in the Hat" trend involves posting or sharing unsettling AI-generated images and videos of the Dr. Seuss character on social media, often accompanied with vague or direct threats to schools and lists student names.

The Maury County Sheriff’s Department and our school district have promptly investigated multiple “Cat in the Hat” social media posts/accounts and identified the source of each threat. Appropriate school policies, disciplinary, and legal actions have been enforced.

We want to be unequivocally clear: Maury County Public Schools has zero tolerance for threats, threatening language or content that promotes or suggests violence against our schools, students, and/or staff.

Individuals who create, repost, share, forward or otherwise distribute threatening content will be subject to disciplinary ramifications at school and criminal charges. Sharing or amplifying threatening content will be treated as a threat.

We ask parents/guardians to speak with your children about responsible social media use. Anyone who discovers a threatening post naming a specific school or person should report it immediately to law enforcement.

Parents, students, and community members can also submit information about known, or possible threats of violence through the SafeTN app. Tips can be submitted 24/7 through the app. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will review, assess, and then send all submissions to law enforcement, mental health crisis response teams, and/or school administrators for intervention based on the information received.

Our priority is the safety of every student and employee. We will continue to investigate all credible reports, work closely with law enforcement and take appropriate action whenever a threat is identified.