St. Johns County Plans More Law Enforcement Over AI 'Cat in the Hat' Posts

St. Johns County officials are reviewing AI-generated 'Cat in the Hat' posts involving local schools, and the sheriff's office said it would increase law-enforcement presence on campuses as a precaution. The district said schools would operate as scheduled and that no credible direct or indirect threat had been identified.

A precaution across county campuses

The sheriff's office said it would increase law-enforcement presence at schools across the county as a precaution. It is working with district officials on campus safety while investigating the school-related social-media content.

We take the safety of our students and staff seriously.

Brennan Asplen, St. Johns County schools superintendent

Why an online post can become a school-safety issue

The local posts sit within a nationwide trend of grainy, altered or AI-generated images and videos depicting a sinister Cat in the Hat. The character is sometimes shown near schools, homes or other recognizable locations, and some posts refer to particular schools, communities or individuals. The figure is an altered version of the character from the classic Dr. Seuss children's book.

Some material in the trend includes threatening captions aimed at schools, students or specific locations. The combination of altered imagery and recognizable places helps explain why this online trend has become a local school-safety concern.

The review began with parents’ notice

On September 7, the school district told parents it was reviewing content involving St. Johns County schools with the sheriff's office and the Florida Department of Education's Office of Safe Schools.

Officials have also warned that creating or sharing threatening content can bring school discipline or criminal charges, even when the person behind it did not intend to carry out an attack.

Officials did not identify which local schools appeared in the posts or provide details about the content being reviewed. They said they would continue monitoring the local posts and release additional information if circumstances changed.