A 13-year-old girl at a Louisiana middle school was reassigned to an alternative school after she attacked a classmate who showed AI-generated nude images of her and others on a school bus. Staff initially could not find the images because they circulated on ephemeral apps, and the principal questioned whether they existed. Weeks later two boys were criminally charged under a new Louisiana law for disseminating AI-created images; the girl was not charged and later returned to school on probation but remains barred from extracurriculars. The episode highlights gaps in school policy and the growing threat of AI-enabled harassment.
AI Deepfakes Trigger Bullying, Bus Fight and a School Expulsion in Louisiana
A school bus carries children at the end of a school day at Sixth Ward Middle School in Thibodaux, La., on Dec, 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Smith)
THIBODAUX, La. — A 13-year-old girl at Sixth Ward Middle School was caught in a devastating swirl of bullying and disciplinary action after AI-generated nude images of her and other students circulated among classmates. Although students and parents reported the images early in the day, school staff initially could not locate the content on ephemeral apps such as Snapchat. Later that afternoon, after seeing the images on a classmate’s phone on the school bus, the girl confronted and attacked the student and was subsequently reassigned to an alternative school as the district moved to expel her for the semester.
What Happened
On Aug. 26 the girl and two friends visited a guidance counselor to report rumors that nude pictures of students were circulating. The students later learned that artificial intelligence had been used to create fake nude images — often called deepfakes — placing girls’ faces on explicit photos. The district and sheriff’s office said investigators later identified AI-generated images depicting eight female students and two adults.
School administrators and a deputy assigned to the campus searched for the images but could not find them during the initial inquiry, in part because they had been shared via apps that remove content after viewing. The principal testified she believed the reports might be hearsay. Still, the harassment continued among students.
The Bus Confrontation
About 15 minutes before dismissal, the girl said a classmate displayed the images on his phone while boarding the bus. Video and photos from the bus later showed students circulating the images, and a confrontation ensued. According to school testimony and video reviewed at a disciplinary hearing, the girl slapped the boy, others struck him, and she climbed over a seat, continuing to punch and stomp on him.
"I went the whole day with getting bullied and getting made fun of about my body," the girl told school officials at her hearing.
Discipline, Criminal Investigation and Aftermath
The school assigned the girl to an alternative school while pursuing expulsion for 89 school days. Weeks later, the sheriff’s office charged two boys with multiple counts of unlawful dissemination of AI-created images under a new Louisiana law; the girl was not charged criminally, the sheriff’s office said, citing the "totality of the circumstances." School officials initially declined to disclose whether the accused boys faced comparable school discipline, citing student privacy rules.
The reassignment and the period away from her peers took a toll. Her father said she began skipping meals, struggled with depression and anxiety, and fell behind on online assignments until he sought therapy for her. After an appeal, the school board allowed her to return on probation; she resumed classes but remains barred from extracurriculars through the probation period.
Broader Issues: AI, Policy And Protection
Experts say this case highlights how easy-to-use AI tools have intensified cyberbullying. Where creating realistic deepfakes once required technical skill, today apps and online services can synthesize convincing fake nude images from publicly available photos. Many school policies and cyberbullying trainings — in this district, dated to 2018 — have not yet been updated to address AI-enabled harassment.
"When we ignore the digital harm, the only moment that becomes visible is when the victim finally breaks," said Sergio Alexander, a research associate at Texas Christian University. Advocates call for clearer school protocols, updated staff training, and rapid preservation procedures for ephemeral social media evidence to ensure victims are protected and alleged perpetrators are held to account fairly.
Legal And Ethical Balance
The case also underscores competing obligations: protecting student privacy under federal law, enforcing discipline fairly, and pursuing criminal charges where warranted. Local officials maintain they followed reporting protocols and urged readers to consider the "complex nature" of the situation, while parents and attorneys say the student who fought was repeatedly victimized.
This episode offers a cautionary example for districts nationwide: as AI tools proliferate, schools must move faster to update policies, train staff, and give students clear ways to report digital harassment — and to preserve evidence before it disappears.
Reporting by The Associated Press. Names of minors withheld in accordance with standard practice.
