A teenage girl was expelled from her Louisiana middle school after she struck a boy who had circulated AI-generated nude images of her among their peers.
The 13-year-old student endured harassment throughout the day, finally reaching her breaking point when the mocking persisted on the bus ride home, according to a report by WWL.
Benjamin Comeaux, one of her legal representatives, explained to the news outlet, “This young girl did everything she was taught to do: she approached adults, she reached out to school officials, she consulted law enforcement, and she spoke to the guidance counselor.”
“When those avenues fail, a student is left without options,” he added.
Video footage of the incident shows the Sixth Ward Middle School student winding up and slapping a male student on the bus with an open hand.
Another student was seen using his phone during the altercation, although the screen content was not visible due to blurring.
The Lafourche Parish County School District expelled the girl in late August, according to the New York Post.
A Sixth Ward Middle School student, 13, was expelled after an altercation with a boy who had allegedly been spreading AI-generated nude photos of her around campus
Footage of the incident captured the girl striking out at a male student on the school bus, allegedly after enduring an entire day of harassment
Her lawyers argued she had ‘swatted’ at her peer to ‘knock the phone out of his hand’ due to the ongoing harassment.
The teen had attempted to report the bullying earlier in the day, but was reportedly turned down by school officials.
Matt Ory, who was also representing the girl, said at a November 5 school board meeting: ‘This is how kids become suicidal. This, right here, and you guys are saying it’s okay.’
He also accused the Lafourche Parish school board of mishandling their investigation.
‘You didn’t find an image?’ Ory said. ‘I bet you didn’t, it’s Snapchat, it disappears!’
Now, the 13-year-old’s family has moved to sue the school board for allegedly failing to protect their daughter.
This happened as the girl’s expulsion was amended, allowing her to return to Sixth Ward Middle School on probation.
Attorney Benjamin Comeaux said the 13-year-old girl had ‘tried to do everything that children are taught to do’ and was failed by her school
Matt Ory, who was also an attorney for the girl, said ‘this is how kids become suicidal’
Lafourche Parish school district superintendent Jarrod Martin said the video of the girl swinging at the boy was ‘very difficult to defend’, per WWL.
He added: ‘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.’
On Monday, the Lafourche Parish sheriff’s office announced that a male student at Sixth Ward Middle School had been charged with ten counts of unlawful dissemination of images created by artificial intelligence.
Detectives opened an investigation in August after reports that male students had shared fake nude photos of female students on a school bus and at school, police said.
This is what led to the incident with the 13-year-old girl that was expelled.
Detectives then charged one of the male students – whose identity was not revealed – with sharing explicit photos of other students created by AI in September, although the update was only provided earlier this week.
Louisiana law states that it unlawful to disseminate any video or still image created by AI that shows someone ‘totally nude or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast’ when they are not licensed to do so.
Louisiana law forbids spreading any video or still image created by AI showing someone ‘totally nude or in a state of undress’ without their license
An investigation started in August after police received reports that male students at Sixth Ward Middle School had been sharing fake nude photos of female students
The announcement happened now due to last week’s Lafourche Parish School Board meeting.
The female student will not face criminal charges, police sheriff Craig Webre said.
He added: ‘Due to the totality of the circumstances, we chose not to pursue charges on the female student.’
The Daily Mail reached out to the Lafourche Parish County School District and Sheriff’s Office after-hours for comment.
