The "Devious Licks" challenge has repeatedly caused problems for custodial staff who must meet their own responsibilities while addressing the vandalism.
The “devious licks” challenge, a viral TikTok trend that encourages students to steal from and vandalize school bathrooms, has taken over the bathrooms at Watauga High School. The trend has overwhelmed WHS's already understaffed custodial staff.
The fad has impacted the bathrooms at WHS in a number of ways. This includes stolen soap dispensers, inappropriate phrases on the walls, and objects thrown at the ceiling.
Administrators at WHS will take action against students who participate in the trend. Consequences can range from school level discipline to criminal charges, both of which can have serious impacts on future jobs and college admissions for students.
“When we find it, we are definitely taking steps to implement consequences that go along with what they have done,” says assistant principal Rachel Shepherd.
WHS staff is urging their students to not participate in the devious licks trend.
“We need kids to understand that it’s not all fun and games,” says Shepherd. “This is causing an enormous amount of work for our custodians who are fantastic. But they are already understaffed and overstretched.”
Vandalism around the school has impacted the WHS custodial staff’s daily job. Staff are constantly pulled away from cleaning the school’s hallways and commons area so that they can handle vandalism in the bathrooms.
“When you get a call because somebody has written disgusting things on the bathroom or has torn things off the wall, that stuff has to be taken care of immediately,” says custodial staff member Rebecca Battern. “It puts me behind getting my stuff done and it looks to other people that I am not doing my job.”
Battern is not alone. Vandalism and the devious licks challenge has taken a toll on the custodial staff’s lives outside of their job.
“It has taken a lot of time away from my family because I have to work late,” says WHS facilities manager Brent Presnell.
Both Presnell and Battern are hoping to see improvements in student behaviors so that they can go back to their normal jobs around the school.
“Listen. Focus your time on school. Focus your time on sports. Focus your time on your hobbies,” Presnell says. “We are going to charge you. We are eventually going to find out and you don’t want that on your record. And think about other people beside yourself.”
While the TikTok trend may appear like a quick joke to get some views, it has some real consequences.
“I would think about before you make those decisions. It’s not nothing cool. It’s not nothing awesome,” says Presnell. “It’s very immature. We are in high school. Let’s come here, do our school work, enjoy these 4 years, and not be taking up the administrative staff and my staff's time.”
WHS students have been provided with a relatively new school building. Presnell thinks it is unfortunate that students are using such a nice building in such an unruly way.
“If you're walking down the hall, take pride in your school. If there’s trash on the floor, even though it’s not yours, just do a good thing and stop and pick it up,” Presnell says. “Take pride in your school because you guys are very fortunate. Y’all have a lot of resources here, a really nice school, and there’s a lot of other schools that don’t have it. Buy in and take pride in it!"
Kindness is something that is always being promoted at WHS. Batten hopes that TikTok can begin to make more positive impressions on students.
“I just think that if kids would maybe do some kind of kindness thing for TikTok or pass it on helping a custodian out that would be great,” Battern says.
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