Latest news with #MaureenBrummett
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
TikTok trend has students setting school laptops on fire
HARTFORD, Conn. (WFLA) — A new trend gaining traction on TikTok has students setting fires at schools. Students are recording themselves shoving things like pencils and metal springs into the charging ports of their school laptops, causing smoke and even flames to erupt, according to a report from NBC affiliate WVIT. Disney announces location of 7th theme park, says it will be the most 'advanced and interactive' of all 'The batteries that are essentially catching on fire, once they burn, they're producing this toxic smoke,' Newington fire marshal DJ Zordon said. 'It's more than just a trend. It causes a lot of disruption. The school has to be evacuated, firefighters respond to the fire house and subsequently to the scene, it takes resources from any other emergencies that might be happening at that time.' Fire officials said the laptops could explode, injuring anyone nearby with burns or pieces of shrapnel. Dr. Maureen Brummett, superintendent of Newington Public Schools, said the students' actions are not only dangerous, but costly. 'Chromebooks are expensive and they're going up in price, so when a student does intentionally destroy a Chromebook, it's their responsibility to replace it. We have [an] insurance program but it's not covering intentional damage,' Brummett said. No one was injured in the reported incidents. There is no word on what consequences students could face for participating in this trend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Fast Company
07-05-2025
- Fast Company
‘The school has to be evacuated': Connecticut students are setting their Chromebooks on fire for TikTok
The latest TikTok trend is leading to fire evacuations at schools across Connecticut. As part of the trend, students are filming themselves inserting items such as pencils, paper clips, and push pins into the charging ports of their school Chromebooks to set them on fire. Why? For a laugh and a brief break from schoolwork. One such 'tutorial' gained 1.5 million views on TikTok before being removed, showing a student pushing a lead pencil into the back left corner of the port. 'You might have to wiggle it a bit,' the user explained. Another student tried to film a 'how-to' video last week, managing to cause a laptop fire and triggering an evacuation at Newington High School, as reported by WDBJ7. Since Monday, both Derby High School and Cromwell High School have experienced similar incidents. 'On Thursday, I was alerted by both my director of security and high school principal that we had a Chromebook that was smoking,' Maureen Brummett, superintendent of Newington Public Schools, told NBC Connecticut. She further explained that after an investigation, it was clear that the damage to the laptop was 'done intentionally' rather than being a result of a malfunction, and that students would be held accountable for replacing the school equipment. 'Chromebooks are expensive and they're going up in price, so when a student does intentionally destroy a Chromebook, it's their responsibility to replace it. We have an insurance program, but it's not covering intentional damage,' she added.
