Five Beverly Hills eighth-graders have been expelled for their involvement in creating and sharing fake nude photos of their classmates.
The Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education voted at a special meeting Wednesday evening to approve expulsion agreements set with five students. According to a source close to the investigation, the expelled students taught at Beverly Vista Middle School. Under the stipulated agreement, the students and their parents do not object to the punishment and no hearing was held.
The names of the students were not revealed, and the agreements are confidential. However, such agreements usually specify how long a student will be expelled and what the conditions will be for their return to the district.
According to Supt. Michael Bregi, the five students who were the focus of her investigations were “most involved” in creating and sharing the images, which superimposed images of real students’ faces onto simulated nude bodies created by artificial intelligence. The district said the victims were 16 eighth-grade students.
The photos, which were shared via messaging apps, angered parents and school officials, prompting Brigie to tell parents in a letter last month that he was prepared to impose “the harshest disciplinary action permitted by state law.” The students involved were identified and disciplined in less than 24 hours, but the district did not move to expel them until it completed the investigation.
The Beverly Hills Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office are still investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made or charges have been filed. California's laws against possession of child pornography and non-consensual sharing of nude photos do not specifically apply to AI-generated images, which legal experts say will pose a problem for prosecutors.
School officials say fake nude photos briefly spread among Beverly Vista students in late February. They did not specify how the images were captured, other than to say that it involves generative artificial intelligence
Dozens of AI-powered apps are available online to “undress” someone in a photo, simulating what the person would look like if they were naked when the photo was taken. Other AI-based tools allow you to “face swap” a target person's face with another person's naked body.
Versions of these programs have been available for years, but earlier versions were more expensive, more difficult to use, and less realistic. Today, AI tools can clone lifelike images and quickly create fakes; Even using a smartphone, this can be done within seconds.
In a letter to parents on Thursday evening, Brigi said: “This incident has sparked critical discussions about the ethical use of technology, including artificial intelligence, underscoring the importance of vigilant and informed engagement within digital environments. In response, our district is steadfast in its commitment to strengthening education about digital citizenship, privacy, and safety for our students, staff, and parents, which was immediately reaffirmed across all schools following the incident.
No specific policy change has been announced in response to the incident, but the district has already banned students from using cell phones on campus.
The nude photos, which were reported to school officials on February 21, were contained within 24 hours, Briggi said.
“We realize that children are still learning and growing, and mistakes are part of this process,” he said in the letter. “However, accountability is necessary, and appropriate measures have been taken.”
