The UW Oshkosh Police Department has been made aware of a national trend on the social media platform TikTok. The trending posts refer to a threat to school safety on Friday, December 17th. The posts did not originate in our area nor do they refer to our UW Oshkosh campuses. Our Police Department personnel were tracking this information throughout the day along with other area departments. We do not believe the threat is credible. We will continue to monitor the situation.

This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats instead, report these concerns to the Police Department. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for students, families, staff and our community members.

Everyone, especially students, must know that statements or comments that may be interpreted as threats will be acted on and could greatly affect an entire community, school, families, and/or individuals. It is especially important to know that posts or comments on social media, even those intended to be jokes, may result in both school and criminal action.

The UW Oshkosh Police Department will be present and vigilant on campus throughout the day tomorrow, December 17th, to ensure the safety of our community members. As always, thank you for your partnership as we work to ensure a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for our students.