US schools cancel classes over AI 'Cat in the Hat' threat trend

A viral social media trend using AI-generated images of the Cat in the Hat character has triggered school safety concerns across the US, leading to law enforcement warnings, heightened security, and class cancellations. The trend has evolved from jokes to posts naming specific students and schools. Authorities in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia are investigating posts that combine the character with real locations and threatening language. A Florida teenager was arrested over online threats linked to the trend, and Assumption High School in Louisville closed on Aug. 31 due to safety concerns. The trend originated from the 2003 live-action film and spread via platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Officials stress the imagery alone doesn't indicate a genuine threat, but urge reporting suspicious content as schools struggle to distinguish pranks from real dangers.