JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – A Dr. Seuss-themed social media trend has resulted in police and school responses across Northeast Arkansas. Several school districts have issued Facebook posts condemning the “Cat in the Hat” trend, which has spread all the way to Jonesboro.
The trend combines pictures and videos of schools with ominous phrases, along with an altered image of the Cat in the Hat, a creation of Dr. Seuss. One video with the statement, “Who’s my first victim?” drew more than 43,000 views.
Police suspect the images are artificially generated, but that hasn’t stopped teens from facing repercussions.
In a Tuesday Facebook post, the Hutchinson Police Department in Kansas said they charged a Hutchinson High School student with two counts of criminal threatening. During an investigation, officers determined the fifteen-year-old had created a TikTok account that “had been created for our specific area that referenced the ‘Cat in the Hat’ trend.”
Other schools have noticed the trend. Brookland Superintendent George Kennedy said they found a video that mentioned Brookland schools. So far, they have not been able to identify who made the post. Kennedy met with Brookland’s security and other administration, and determined they were under no specific threats.
“We just need to function as normal, keep our eyes open, and we’ll be alright,” Kennedy said.
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