ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — The “Cat in the Hat” social media trend has resurfaced, and now threats have been made against students in the Albany-Dougherty County community.

Multiple posts were made on TikTok from an account by the name of “Cat in the hat.”

One of the posts reads:

“For all of the people [who] stay in Albany be ready for your kids to be gone tomorrow. I will go to all the people’s school when I’m done with [the] middle school. Next step is [the] high school. I should start with [the] elementary school.”

Another post lists multiple names of students who allegedly attend Albany Middle School.

Below is a statement from the Dougherty County Police Department:

The Dougherty County Police Department has been made aware of social media posts containing threatening language directed toward schools and students in the Albany-Dougherty County community.

Similar posts associated with the viral “Cat in the Hat” social media trend have circulated in communities across the country. Regardless of whether content is connected to an online trend or intended as a prank, threats involving schools and students must be appropriately evaluated and may result in disciplinary or criminal consequences.

DCPD strongly encourages the public and social media users not to repost, repeatedly display or otherwise amplify the threatening content. Continued circulation can increase fear among students, parents and the community while giving additional attention and reach to those responsible for creating the content.

Anyone who encounters threatening content should preserve the information, including screenshots, account names, dates, times and other available identifying information, and provide it directly to law enforcement or school officials.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to talk with their children about the seriousness of creating or participating in threatening online content.

DCPD asks the community  to help limit unnecessary fear and further circulation: Report threatening content. Do not repost it! 

The Albany Police Department (APD) released a statement on Facebook to let community members know they will help and support the Dougherty Police Department as needed.

Full statement below:

“We are aware of the recent social media posts that have been tagging the Albany Police Department and making references to schools in our city. The posts are part of what is being referred to online as the “Cat in a Hat” trend. The Albany Police Department has been in contact with Dougherty County School Police regarding the posts.

They are aware of the situation and are addressing it. Our department will continue to assist and support them as needed.

We know these types of posts can cause concern for parents, students, and our community. Please do not share, repost, or engage with the post. If you see one of these posts, you can report it directly to the social media platform and notify school officials or law enforcement if you believe there is a threat."

Officials from APD also confirmed they have alerted school police.

The Dougherty County School System released this statement Friday, Sept. 18:

“The Dougherty County School System is aware of social media posts circulating this evening that reference Albany Middle School and contain threatening language toward students.

The posts appear to be associated with the so-called “Cat in the Hat” social media trend, a broader online hoax in which accounts use disturbing imagery and threatening messages involving schools and students. Similar posts have also circulated in communities outside of Albany.

While the posts appear to be part of this broader social media trend, DCSS takes every threat involving the safety of our students and schools seriously. The DCSS Police Department is investigating the posts and will continue working to determine their source.

The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority, and we take any report involving school safety seriously. Out of an abundance of caution, there will be an enhanced law enforcement presence at Albany Middle School on Thursday. The school will operate on its normal schedule, with heightened security measures.

We appreciate the vigilance of those who brought these posts to our attention. We also encourage students, families, and community members not to share, repost or further circulate these messages, as doing so can create unnecessary fear and make it more difficult to determine the original source. Instead, please report concerning content directly to school administrators or law enforcement so it can be properly reviewed. By working together, we can help ensure our schools continue to be safe, supportive and focused on learning.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will communicate with families should additional information become available."

We are working to learn more. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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