AI deepfakes are peaking right now

In 2025, a 14-year-old student at Hingham Middle School was the victim of a targeted deepfake attack that occurred during the school day. Despite a formal Title IX investigation and an admission of guilt by the student who created the content, the incident resulted in no disciplinary consequences for the perpetrator.

What happened

A student at Hingham Middle School created a nude deepfake image of a 14-year-old classmate. The fabricated image was subsequently circulated among other students within the school hallways during school hours. Following the discovery of the image, a lengthy Title IX investigation was launched by the district. The student responsible for the creation of the synthetic content admitted to their actions during the investigation. However, the review concluded without a finding of guilt and without any disciplinary action being taken against the student who created or shared the image.

In the aftermath, the victim was required to return to the same school environment where the image had been distributed. The victim's family raised concerns with school leadership regarding the lack of disciplinary response, but the School Committee confirmed that no specific policy changes regarding deepfakes have been implemented since the incident. The school district maintained that while the School Committee oversees general policy, individual disciplinary decisions are the responsibility of the district administration. This division of responsibility created a situation where accountability was absent, leaving the victim to navigate the emotional toll without institutional support. The incident has highlighted a significant gap in current school policies, which do not explicitly address the creation or distribution of AI-generated sexually explicit content as a disciplinary offense.