Trendpills
A 13-year-old student at Sixth Ward Middle School in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, was expelled after physically confronting a male classmate she accused of creating and distributing a sexually explicit deepfake image of her. The incident, which occurred in August, has ignited a debate over school disciplinary policies and the growing threat of AI-generated content.
The girl’s family, represented by attorneys Greg Miller and Morgyn Young, is preparing to file a federal lawsuit against the Lafourche Parish School District. They allege the school failed to protect the student from severe cyberbullying. According to her lawyers, before the altercation, the student had repeatedly sought help from school staff, including a teacher, a counselor, and the school resource officer, to no avail. The AI-generated image was reportedly being circulated among students on the school bus and within the school.
The physical confrontation led to the girl's immediate expulsion under the school's zero-tolerance policy on violence. The family’s legal team argues that the school punished the victim of harassment while failing to adequately address the initial offense. The Lafourche Parish School Board later reviewed the case and voted to allow the student to return to school, but upheld the expulsion, effectively placing her on probation.
The male student who allegedly created and shared the image was also disciplined, though details have not been made public. This case highlights the challenges educational institutions face in adapting to new forms of digital abuse. The incident is prompting multiple investigations and has led to discussions among lawmakers about creating or strengthening laws to specifically address the malicious use of AI, putting a spotlight on the school's handling of AI-driven abuse.
