A student at Sixth Ward Middle School in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, was arrested for allegedly sharing AI-generated nude images of classmates. Authorities say more arrests or charges may follow as the investigation continues.
When did it start?
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office said the investigation started in August after a report that a group of boys was sharing AI-generated nude pictures of female students on the school bus. This led to a confrontation between one of the boys and a 13-year-old female student who was a victim.
What was he charged with?
In September, authorities arrested one of the boys and charged him with 10 counts of unlawfully sharing images created by artificial intelligence. Sheriff Craig Webre said the female student involved in the altercation would not face charges. However, she was expelled after standing up for herself.
“Due to the totality of the circumstances, we chose not to pursue charges on the female student,” Webre said. The sheriff’s office said the investigation was ongoing and additional arrests and charges are possible.
Webre added, “These types of investigations, which involve technology and social media platforms, can take many weeks or even months to attain and investigate digital evidence. Our detectives are focused on completing a thorough investigation to ensure accountability of those involved.”
Why was the victim expelled?
Before the boy was arrested, one alleged victim was expelled from school for a physical altercation that happened on the school bus. At a November 5th school board meeting, the girl’s representatives said she became frustrated after reporting the nude pictures to school officials, but was still placed on the bus with the boy.
“She had had enough. What is she supposed to do?” one of the girl’s representatives said during the November 5th Lafourche School Board meeting. “She reported it to the people who are supposed to protect her, but she was victimized, and finally she tried to knock the phone out of his hand and swat at him.” The girl reportedly reacted as the boy was sharing the explicit pictures with others on the bus.
The girl’s representatives say the investigation into the AI-generated nude photos was inadequate. They claim the girl was not allowed to call her father, as she was told, “We don’t need to get parents involved.” School Board member Valerie Bourgeois questioned why the girl did not call her father if her phone was never taken, saying, “They use their phones all the time.”
Trouble at a school board meeting
At the school board meeting, Superintendent Jarod Martin said school officials were aware of the allegations but explained that situations like this are difficult to investigate. He also said students reported that “multiple other students” were involved in the behavior.
“This despicable behavior became pervasive that particular day amongst many students. Her staff was trying to arrive at the origin and then how it got to be, and where it went from there,” Martin said. “The limitations of the investigation was such that a lack of specificity in details hampered the investigation, and these are always difficult things to investigate because the right to privacy of a student has to be married with the seriousness of the allegation and what we can do and what we can not do.”
The girl’s representatives say that even after the incident, students continued to show the pictures on the bus. They expressed frustration about how she was treated and questioned why she was punished.
“This was not a random act of violence …this was a reasonable response to what this kid endured, and there were so many options less than expulsion that could’ve been done,” one of the girl’s representatives said. “Had she not been a victim, we’re not here, and none of this would have happened.”
They called for reconsideration of her expulsion, saying she is a good student who has never been in trouble before.
“You are setting a dangerous precedent by doing anything other than putting her back in school,” they said. “She didn’t do anything wrong.”
Some school board members considered the girl’s perspective, especially given the boys’ behavior on the bus.
“Yes, she is a victim. I agree with that, but if she had not hit the young man, we wouldn’t be here today. It wouldn’t have come to an expulsion hearing,” Bourgeois said.
“I found the video on the bus to be sickening, the whole thing, everything about it, but the fact that this child went through this all day long does weigh heavy on me,” board member Tina Babin said.
The superintendent’s statement
Martin said the situation was complex.
“Sometimes in life, we can be both victims and perpetrators. Sometimes in life, horrible things happen to us, and we get angry and do things. The video you guys watched, I don’t think, depicts what was described. The video you all watched depicts something that’s very difficult to defend.”
The board ultimately decided to uphold the expulsion but allowed her to return to school immediately and remain on probation.
Lafourche Parish Public Schools Superintendent Jarod Martin released the following statement regarding the matter:
“The Lafourche Parish School Board is dedicated to a mission centered on providing a safe, healthy, and nurturing learning environment for all students, and this mission is reflected in values that prioritize the well-being and success of every child.
Our commitment to student safety and our commitment to the consistent application of consequences are the bedrock and foundation upon which every decision is made. We understand the public’s interest in this matter; however, federal law, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), strictly prohibits us from releasing or discussing any specific student’s disciplinary records. We can assure you that all violations of our student code of conduct, including acts of violence and distribution of pornographic material, are immediately and thoroughly investigated and are met with adequate, swift, and consistent consequences. This case was brought to law enforcement immediately and continues to be an ongoing investigation by the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. We deeply value their commitment to aid our ability to address unwanted and criminal behavior.
Unfortunately, in this case, there is a tremendous amount of misinformation and omissions of fact that present a one-sided story that fails to illustrate the totality and complex nature of this particular incident and the district’s response. We have never and will never steer from our mission of ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment for all students.”
A question remains: if the boy created and shared the photos and was arrested for it, should he also be expelled?