MURRAY, Utah (ABC4) – Murray High School students will now have to pay $5 to attend an upcoming school football game as a result of vandalism stemming from a viral TikTok challenge. It’s the first time students will have to pay for a game.
The social media challenge shows students from right here in Utah, and across the country vandalizing and stealing school property.
Murray High officials released the following statement regarding the vandalism:
As with other schools across the country, Murray High School has experienced our share of vandalism and theft due to the viral TikTok challenges being promoted.
These devious actions have continued to escalate and are costing untold sums in material and time-expensed repairs. As stewards of tax-payer funding, and at a time when resources are limited and academic needs great, it is our duty to be responsive to this senseless waste of money.
Further, it’s important that we communicate tandem messages of zero tolerance for criminal behavior and respect for property and each other.
We plead with our valued partners in the media to help spread this message to parents and students that vandalism, theft, and other mischief in public schools is unacceptable conduct that must be addressed.
In an email sent to students from the school’s administration, the reason for the increase in entry fees to the Spartan’s next game is to “help supplement the costs of stolen or vandalized items and labor costs to help clean it up.”
Typically, at Murray High School, football games and other activities are free to students, but the administration states they will look into charging fees for entry into dances, assemblies, and other activities.
For now, the $5 entry fee applies only applies for the Spartan’s upcoming game on October 7. However, should the vandalism continue, school officials say they will continue to charge the fee at future school events.
“This is not the action we want to take, but it’s entirely up to you all to figure out if this type of behavior is acceptable and what you each can do as peers to help prevent it,” the email reads.
Murray High’s next scheduled home football game is set for Oct. 7 against East.