A 13-year-old girl in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, was expelled from her middle school for over 10 weeks after a physical altercation that followed severe bullying involving AI-generated nude images of her and her friends. The incident highlights a growing challenge for schools unprepared to handle a new wave of digital harassment fueled by artificial intelligence.
Key Takeaways
- A 13-year-old girl was the victim of AI-generated nude images circulated by classmates at Sixth Ward Middle School.
- After her reports to school officials were met with inaction, she physically confronted a boy sharing the images on a school bus.
- The school initially moved to expel her for 89 days, sending her to an alternative school.
- Two boys were later criminally charged for disseminating the images under a new Louisiana law, while the girl faced no charges.
- The case exposes the gap in school policies for addressing AI-driven cyberbullying and its psychological impact on students.
A Day of Escalating Harassment
The ordeal for the eighth-grader began on the morning of August 26, when she and her friends learned that fabricated nude images of them were being shared among students. The images, created using artificial intelligence, placed their faces onto nude bodies.
The girls first sought help from a school guidance counselor around 7 a.m. They later spoke with a sheriff's deputy assigned to the school. However, because the images were reportedly shared on Snapchat, where content disappears quickly, officials were unable to immediately locate them. The school's principal, Danielle Coriell, later expressed doubts that the images even existed at that point.
The girl’s father, Joseph Daniels, described the images as “full nudes with her face put on them.” Despite the school’s inability to find evidence, the teasing continued throughout the day. The 13-year-old reported feeling miserable and made a second attempt to see the counselor in the afternoon to call her father, but said she was not allowed to.
The Rise of 'Nudify' Apps
Technology that once required technical expertise to create deepfakes is now widely accessible. Mobile apps and websites can take a photo from social media and digitally alter it to create realistic-looking nude images in seconds. This accessibility has turned AI into a potent new tool for schoolyard bullying and harassment.
The Breaking Point on the Bus
As the school day ended, the situation reached a critical point. The principal remained skeptical of the girls' claims. During the subsequent disciplinary hearing, Coriell explained her perspective, stating, “Kids lie a lot... They blow lots of things out of proportion on a daily basis.”
At approximately 2:15 p.m., the 13-year-old girl boarded her school bus. There, she saw a male classmate showing the AI-generated images to another student on his phone. A photo taken on the bus reportedly supports her claim. “I went the whole day with getting bullied and getting made fun of about my body,” the girl later stated at her hearing.
“That’s when I got angry,” the eighth grader recalled.
Feeling that her pleas for help had been ignored, she confronted the boy. The situation escalated into a physical fight, with the girl slapping him before two other classmates joined in. She then climbed over a seat and continued the assault. Video of the incident was later posted on Facebook.
Disciplinary and Legal Fallout
The school district's response was swift and severe. The girl, who had no prior disciplinary issues, was recommended for expulsion for a full semester, totaling 89 school days. She was immediately sent to an alternative school.
In a joint statement, the school district and sheriff's office noted that “overwhelming social media sentiment was one of outrage and a demand that the students involved in the fight be held accountable.”
A Tale of Two Consequences
- The Victim: Initially faced an 89-day expulsion and was sent to an alternative school.
- The Alleged Perpetrators: Two boys were eventually charged with 10 counts each of unlawful dissemination of AI-generated images.
It was not until three weeks after the fight, on the day of the girl’s disciplinary hearing, that the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office charged one of the boys. He faced 10 counts under a new Louisiana state law prohibiting the unlawful dissemination of images created by artificial intelligence. A second boy was charged with the same offenses in December. The sheriff's office confirmed the 13-year-old girl would face no charges due to the “totality of the circumstances.”
During the hearing, the girl’s attorney, Gregory Miller, questioned the school's handling of the situation, but federal student privacy laws prevented officials from discussing disciplinary actions taken against other students. Miller has stated he has no knowledge of any school discipline for the boy involved.
The Aftermath and A Broader Warning
The expulsion had a significant impact on the girl. Her father reported that she began skipping meals and was unable to concentrate on her online schoolwork. She was later diagnosed with and began therapy for depression and anxiety.
Experts warn that schools are largely unprepared for this form of digital harm. Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, noted that most schools are “just kind of burying their heads in the sand.” Lafourche Parish School District's cyberbullying curriculum dated back to 2018, long before AI image generators became a widespread threat.
The girl's attorneys appealed her expulsion to the school board. Superintendent Jarod Martin argued that “sometimes in life we can be both victims and perpetrators.” However, the board was moved by her circumstances. Board member Henry Lafont commented, “I’m also trying to put into perspective what she went through all day.”
The board voted to allow her to return to her school immediately. She went back on November 7 but remains on probation until January 29, barring her from participating in extracurricular activities like basketball. “I was hoping she would make great friends... I think they ruined that,” her father said, expressing his disappointment with the entire situation.