VERO BEACH — The School District of Indian River County said Tuesday there is no known threat to local campuses after the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools warned districts about a social media campaign circulating about the “Cat in the Hat” nationally that involves school shooting threats.
The posts “appear to target different schools and may use altered or AI-generated images that reference the Cat in the Hat,” the district said in a message to parents. Officials said threats reviewed so far have been determined to be non-credible.
“While there is no known threat to our schools, we take these reports seriously,” the district said. “Our law enforcement partners are monitoring this situation and are making sure our campuses are safe.”
District officials said any student found to take part in that kind of activity will be disciplined under the Code of Student Conduct.
Parents and students were urged to report suspicious activity through FortifyFL, Florida’s anonymous school-safety tip system, at GetFortifyFL.com or through the FortifyFL app.
The circulating posts, which have appeared on platforms including TikTok and Snapchat, typically pair menacing messages with images or videos of a life-size or AI-generated version of the Dr. Seuss character. Similar posts have prompted investigations, extra patrols and, in some cases, arrests in Florida and other states in recent days, according to law enforcement reports.
FortifyFL
FortifyFL was created after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Tips submitted through the system go to law enforcement and school officials.
