By John Schwing

WESTPORT — Vandalism inspired by viral TikTok “Devious Licks” videos, plaguing schools in the area and across the nation, has struck Westport schools.

A rash of vandalism recently hit Bedford Middle School, according to a statement emailed to parents by Principal Adam Rosen, as reported by Inklings, the Staples High School newspaper.

Devious Licks-related vandalism at the school, according to Rosen’s statement, so far this school year has seen “a national flag stolen from the cafeteria; multiple instances of hand soap and towel dispensers torn off of walls, damaged and stolen; hand soap dispenser bags exploded covering bathroom floors; a gallon jug of common-use hand sanitizer was stolen and then destroyed in our boys locker room; urinal screen shoved into sink drain causing a flood; safety equipment taken and moved throughout the school.”

Some of the boys’ bathrooms have been locked as a result.

Westport Journal reached out to Supt. of Schools Thomas Scarice on Thursday morning about the incidents, seeking information about whether Devious Licks-related vandalism has occurred in other Westport schools. 

The superintendent also was asked if perpetrators of the Bedford vandalism have been identified and, if so, what consequences, if any, they might face.

Scarice did not respond to email and phone messages for comment Thursday about what appears to be extensive damage — based on Rosen’s account — to school property.

However, school officials in Fairfield, Weston and Norwalk have recently spoken out about the toll Devious Licks damage is taking on their schools.

The Inklings report states that Rosen and Scarice believe “temporary preventative actions are ‘necessary and effective’ ” to halt the incidents.

“I have confidence that Dr. Rosen worked with his team to develop an approach that will appropriately address the vandalism so that this costly behavior will end,” Scarice said in the Inklings article.

“Pranks are not new to schools. In fact, class pranks have been memorialized at the college and high school level in movies and stories passed on through generations. However, this trend is not what I have experienced as a prank. It is vandalism and most disappointing,” he is quoted as saying.

Students around the country have posted thousands of TikTok videos over the last few weeks that show vandalism to school buildings, including damage to bathroom sinks, toilets and soap dispensers, as well as furniture, fire alarms and even trophies. Theft of school property, such as computers and lab equipment, is featured in other videos.

In a bid to control the phenomenon, TikTok recently banned the #deviouslicks hashtag.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., this week wrote to TikTok officials urging them “to delete videos, ban users and restrict hashtags that glorify property damage and threats to school safety to prevent this destructive behavior from spreading,” 

In the letter to TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew, he also said, “While TikTok has taken steps to remove these videos, these actions were too little, too late and do not make up for the damage to schools across the country.”

Blumenthal, the chairman of the Senate’s Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security, said he plans to hold hearings on the impact such social-media trends have on young people. 

“I fully expect your company to participate, particularly in light of this alarming new trend,” he told the TikTok executive.