Lodi school district email warns parents about "Cat in the Hat" social media trend

A familiar hat, a familiar grin, but some very unfamiliar and unsettling scenery — "The Cat in the Hat" is appearing in AI-altered images and videos as a sinister-looking character referencing specific schools, communities, locations or people.

"If kids were to come to see this, they would feel unsafe and just scared," Maritza Duran-Chavez said.

This national trend is now hitting some areas of Northern California. TikTok and social media accounts are now showing 209 locations, prompting the Lodi Unified School District to send an email to warn all parents.

Some videos show Manteca High School, students' homes or popular locations. Local parents and students are concerned.

"Obviously anyone would trip out about that, especially at their own homes," Duran-Chavez said.

Lodi Unified says these posts are typically hoaxes but law enforcement and the district are taking every report seriously, giving some relief.

"I feel like people would feel safer now knowing everybody got an email about it. Now they know to watch out," Duran-Chavez said. "I'd want to call the police. Yeah, that is creepy."

This trend all began overseas in the UK and Ireland back in August, depicting the character in a horror movie or as a serial killer. That then turned into placing the "Cat in the Hat" in certain locations.

Since the trend arrived in the U.S., four arrests have been made across the country.

"If we were to see someone do that, it's because they have a plan to do something," Duran-Chavez said. "It's not just to be silly. It's deeper than that."

Lodi Unified says they are taking this very seriously. There are no active threats to any of their campuses but they are asking people to report these videos to a parent, school administrator or guardian.

If you do see someone impersonating this trend in person, especially outside of a school, they ask you to call the police immediately.