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Title: Explicit Deepfake Scandal Shuts Down Pennsylvania School

Link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/11/18/2122...

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: An AI-generated nude
photo scandal has shut down a Pennsylvania private school. On Monday, classes
were canceled after parents forced leaders to either resign or face a lawsuit
potentially seeking criminal penalties and accusing the school of skipping
mandatory reporting of the harmful images. The outcry erupted after a single
student created sexually explicit AI images of nearly 50 female classmates at
Lancaster Country Day School, Lancaster Online reported. Head of School Matt
Micciche seemingly first learned of the problem in November 2023, when a
student anonymously reported the explicit deepfakes through a school portal
run by the state attorney's general office called "Safe2Say Something." But
Micciche allegedly did nothing, allowing more students to be targeted for
months until police were tipped off in mid-2024. Cops arrested the student
accused of creating the harmful content in August. The student's phone was
seized as cops investigated the origins of the AI-generated images. But that
arrest was not enough justice for parents who were shocked by the school's
failure to uphold mandatory reporting responsibilities following any
suspicion of child abuse. They filed a court summons threatening to sue last
week unless the school leaders responsible for the mishandled response
resigned within 48 hours. This tactic successfully pushed Micciche and the
school board's president, Angela Ang-Alhadeff, to "part ways" with the
school, both resigning effective late Friday, Lancaster Online reported. In a
statement announcing that classes were canceled Monday, Lancaster Country Day
School -- which, according to Wikipedia, serves about 600 students in pre-
kindergarten through high school -- offered support during this "difficult
time" for the community. Parents do not seem ready to drop the suit, as the
school leaders seemingly dragged their feet and resigned two days after their
deadline. The parents' lawyer, Matthew Faranda-Diedrich, told Lancaster
Online Monday that "the lawsuit would still be pursued despite executive
changes." Classes are planned to resume on Tuesday, Lancaster Online
reported. But students seem unlikely to let the incident go without further
action to help girls feel safe at school. Last week, more than half the
school walked out, MSN reported, forcing classes to be canceled as students
and some faculty members called for resignations and additional changes from
remaining leadership.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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