Hingham family files Title IX complaint after student creates deepfake image of their daughter
Megan Mancini filed a Title IX complaint in Hingham Public Schools after she says her daughter was a victim of sexual harassment.
Mancini says another student created a Deepfake pornographic image of her daughter using artificial intelligence.
'She was devastated, I mean she definitely felt violated, she wanted something to be done about it, and at that point we had notified the school, the police,' said Mancini.
After Mancini filed a complaint about the incident in January, Hingham schools launched an investigation.
After about four and a half months, the district sent a letter to Mancini, saying that while the student's conduct was 'inappropriate and hurtful, there is insufficient evidence to conclude it occurred in the District's schools.'
'The image was shared in the school hallways, amongst other students during school hours, and it was also shared via text,' said Mancini.
Mancini was disappointed to learn the student responsible for creating that nude photo of her daughter would not be disciplined at Hingham Middle School.
'It makes me feel like the school failed,' said Mancini.
Legal expert Peter Elikann says families could press charges for this under the state's new Revenge Porn and Sexting law.
'The word needs to go out among young people that you can be criminally prosecuted in juvenile court for sending nude images of someone else without their consent,' said Elikann.
He says that includes Deepfakes or AI-generated photos.
'The fact that people can create all kinds of fake pornography online, and young people seem to know how to do it, it's really hit a huge crisis point,' said Elikann.
'I think it's important to have swift action, and I think we missed that critical window,' said Mancini.
Mancini hopes school leaders can start to take more action on these cases to prevent them from happening again, even if districts claim not to have jurisdiction.
'There was not one communication sent out from the school department or the school administration about this issue, and for you know, a heads up, awareness to parents that this is going on, this is going on in middle school, and it's going to get nothing but worse,' said Mancini.
This conduct is becoming such a problem that the state has a youth diversion program to teach minors about the dangers of sharing nude photos, if they're prosecuted in cases like this.
Boston 25 News reached out to Hingham Public Schools multiple times on this issue, but they haven't responded.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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