HARDIN — A viral TikTok trend featuring AI-generated videos of a menacing Cat in the Hat character threatening schools has reached Hardin, putting parents on edge and prompting a response from local law enforcement.
The trend features distorted, unsettling versions of the classic children's book character accompanied by threats directed at schools and students. One video specifically named Hardin Middle School.
Watch parents talk about their concerns surrounding this trend:
"It's kind of like a grainy picture of a really creepy looking cat in the hat," Allison French said Tuesday.
For parents Russell Ibison and French, whose daughter Kennedy attends Hardin Middle School, the videos are deeply unsettling.
"It was pretty concerning just seeing the message and like the creepiness of it, because like it's supposed to be like a children's book character," Ibison said.
The couple said the uncertainty surrounding the posts makes them especially troubling.
"You never know what's going on with somebody and if like they're serious or if they're joking or, you know, like what kind of message they're just trying to send," French said.
Interim Hardin Police Chief Tyler Nedens said his department received a call about the TikTok trend and is taking every post seriously.
"Somebody called in regarding, they've seen a TikTok trend, regarding Cat in the Hat, regarding people threatening to shoot up schools. I heard it was nationwide," Nedens said.
Nedens said his department is working with the sheriff's office and that all posts of this nature warrant a serious response.
"I know a lot of other agencies do as well. It should all be taken serious," Nedens said.
Hardin Schools is also monitoring the situation, alerting parents on social media and coordinating with police. The district has stated that the safety of students and staff is its top priority.
Nedens said increased law enforcement presence at the school is part of the response.
"We're just here to help and keep the city safe and get more law enforcement presence at the school," Nedens said.
For parents like Ibison and French, the additional security measures at the school offer some reassurance.
"They have to go through a metal detector, you know, when they initially go in. And I think that that's kind of important," French said.
"And they buzz you in," Ibison added.
French said questions remain about who is behind the posts and whether they are intended as a joke or something more serious. Regardless of the intent, she said the impact on students is real.
"Students should be able to go to school and enjoy it and not have to worry about these situations," Nedens said.
