A Pennsylvania school decided to cancel classes and fire their principal after a male student allegedly used AI to generate nude images of nearly 50 female classmates.
Head of School Matt Micciche and Board President Angela Ang-Alhadeff no longer work for the Lancaster Country Day School after the institution announced that they decided to "part ways" with Micciche, and Ang-Alhadeff decided to "step away," as reported by Lancaster Online.
Classes were then canceled on Monday, and by the end of the day the school said it plans to find new administrators, make sure support is available for students and bolster the systems in place for identifying and looking into misconduct in a letter to parents, obtained by WHTM.
Reports of a student using AI to create nude images of classmates were first made in November 2023 after students submitted anonymous tips. However, an email to upper school parents in June said that the investigation was dropped after administrators said they were unable to authenticate the report, as reported by Lancaster Online.
Another tip was made against the student in May, and this time was brought to the attention of police who reportedly found generated nude images of 22 students. That number has since been increased to 46.
On Nov. 8, dozens of students walked out of classes in protest of the way the incident was handled. Several parents have also filed a lawsuit against the school for its response, as reported by WHTM.
The accused student no longer attends Lancaster Country Day School, however no charges have been filed. The investigation remains ongoing.
"The safety of our students is the most profound responsibility of our school. In response to the disturbing situation involving AI generated false images of some of our students, our school remains focused on supporting the members of our community who have been impacted. In addition, the school is conducting a thorough policy review for investigating incidents of student misconduct to strengthen our process and protocols in support of student wellbeing," the Lancaster Country Day School said in a statement obtained by WHTM.
The school continued that it is working with police in regards to the situation, and is maintaining "regular communication" with the community.
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