Sheriff says a male student faces 10 counts for sharing AI-created images; the girl has been readmitted on probation.
THIBODAUX, La. — A 13-year-old was expelled from Sixth Ward Middle School after striking a classmate during an August school bus confrontation tied to an AI-generated nude image of her, according to her family and attorneys. The family now plans a federal lawsuit against the Lafourche Parish School District.
The dispute has become a flashpoint as schools confront the spread of deepfake images among students. The girl’s father, Joseph Daniels, and attorneys Greg Miller and Morgyn Young say the teen reported the image circulating during the school day but was told staff would handle it. Later, she saw the photo being shared on the bus and hit a male student, they said. The district initially expelled her, then amended the decision after a public school board meeting last week, allowing her to return on probation while keeping the expulsion on her record. The sheriff’s office, which is investigating, says a male student was charged in September with 10 counts related to sharing AI-created images.
The incident began as the new school year opened in August, when classmates allegedly circulated an AI-generated nude image depicting the girl. Her father says she repeatedly sought help on campus as the picture spread on student phones. “My daughter begged them to make it stop,” Miller said, describing a day of taunts before dismissal. On the afternoon bus ride, the girl saw the image again and struck a boy she believed was responsible. Daniels said he does not condone her reaction but called the punishment excessive. “Suspension would have been justified in my mind,” he said. “Expulsion was overboard.” The case drew a packed audience and emotional testimony at a Lafourche Parish School Board meeting last week, where supporters criticized the district’s handling and urged a review of discipline procedures.
District leaders say they cannot discuss student discipline records because of federal privacy law but emphasized that staff reported the case to law enforcement and followed policy. In a written statement, the Lafourche Parish School District said all violations of the code of conduct, including distributing pornographic material and acts of violence, are investigated and met with “swift and consistent consequences.” The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office said detectives charged one male student in September with 10 counts of unlawful dissemination of images created by artificial intelligence and that additional arrests are possible. Sheriff Craig Webre said investigators do not expect to criminally charge the girl “due to the totality of the circumstances.” Attorneys for the girl said the board’s amended decision lets her attend classes with probationary conditions, while the expulsion notation remains on her record for now. The number of students affected by the images remains under review, according to officials.
The case lands amid a broader rise in reports of synthetic sexual images involving minors. Law enforcement agencies nationwide have warned that apps allowing users to fabricate or “undress” photos are widely accessible to teens. In Louisiana, local officials have described a time-consuming digital forensics process to recover and analyze evidence from student devices and apps. Educators in other districts have faced similar incidents over the past two years, leading to expulsions and, in some cases, criminal charges for students who create or share doctored images. Technology researchers say the barrier to making convincing deepfakes has fallen sharply, intensifying pressure on schools to update policies and on lawmakers to adjust criminal statutes that did not anticipate AI tools in student hands.
Attorneys for the girl say they intend to file a federal complaint alleging Title IX violations and negligence, arguing the district failed to protect a student from a hostile environment after a sexualized image spread on campus. They plan to seek removal of the expulsion from her record and damages related to the girl’s reported emotional distress. The district’s superintendent has said the system followed its procedures and referred the matter to law enforcement immediately. The sheriff’s office says its investigation is ongoing; detectives previously booked one student on Sept. 15 on 10 counts tied to AI image dissemination and noted that more arrests could follow as devices are examined. No court dates have been announced, and because the accused are minors, details of any juvenile proceedings are sealed.
Outside the board meeting, parents and students described a tense week on campus and online. Some students said they worried about additional images surfacing from group chats. “It’s scary because you don’t know who has what on their phones,” said one parent who spoke after the meeting. Inside, speakers faulted adults for, as one put it, “losing control of the situation.” Daniels said his daughter remains focused on returning to class. “I have no ill will toward that young man or his family,” he said, adding that adolescents often fail to grasp the consequences of what they share. Attorneys said the girl is attending classes under probation terms while they prepare filings.
As of Friday, the girl is back at Sixth Ward Middle School in Thibodaux under probationary status while the sheriff’s probe continues. The family’s attorneys say they expect to file their federal lawsuit in the coming weeks; the next public update is likely to come from investigators as they complete device reviews and determine whether further charges are warranted.
Author note: Last updated November 14, 2025.