Lancaster Country Day School seeks dismissal of AI…

Lancaster Country Day School is seeking the dismissal of a civil lawsuit filed on behalf of over a dozen victims and their parents regarding an AI child pornography case. The school disputes allegations that it failed to act upon receiving tips about the creation of deepfake nude images by two former students.

What happened

A 36-page civil lawsuit alleged that the school received multiple tips throughout 2024 regarding the deepfake images but failed to intervene, allowing the activity to continue. The plaintiffs claim that the school's mandated reporters did not take appropriate action to stop the creation of the material.

In response, counsel for Lancaster Country Day School, Rory O. Connaughton, filed a motion for dismissal, arguing that the school is not liable for the criminal acts of its former students. The defense highlights that the school received a tip regarding the deepfake images in November 2023 via the Attorney General's Safe2Say program. The school argues that because the Attorney General’s office is defined as law enforcement and provided the initial tip, the school was in compliance by reporting information back to them. Furthermore, the school maintains that the received information did not meet the legal definition of child abuse, thereby negating the requirement for administrators to file additional reports. The motion contends that the school acted properly and that the Attorney General’s office held the authority to escalate the matter to local police if necessary.