They Dedicated Their Lives to Teaching. Then the…
Substitute teacher Luis DeSantiago faced a monthslong harassment campaign after students used AI to create and circulate sexualized deepfake images of him
- Incident date
- Mar 2024
- Target
- Luis DeSantiago
On March 12, 2024, substitute teacher Luis DeSantiago was alerted to an AI-generated image of himself circulating on social media. The manipulated photo, which depicted him in lingerie, was based on a real mirror selfie he had taken years prior. This incident marked the beginning of a monthslong ordeal involving students across two different schools, highlighting a growing trend of educators being targeted by students using generative AI to create nonconsensual sexualized content.
What happened
After identifying a student who had shared the image on TikTok, DeSantiago reported the harassment to school administrators. Despite the report, the situation escalated; a separate student created an impersonation account on TikTok using his name and the manipulated photo. The harassment spread to Snapchat and continued even after he transferred to a local high school, where he was targeted via AirDrop during class. While one student admitted to the creation of the image and received in-school suspension, the content continued to proliferate, accompanied by crude, sexualized comments on his social media accounts.
The incident caused DeSantiago to feel unsafe, ultimately leading him to stop taking assignments at the district. Legal experts note that such acts constitute sexual harassment in the workplace, yet schools often lack clear protocols for addressing AI-based student misconduct. DeSantiago’s experience is part of a broader pattern; other educators have reported similar incidents involving deepfake videos depicting them in compromising or sexual situations. These cases often involve students manipulating public photos to create humiliating content, which is then shared across private group chats and public social media platforms. The proliferation of this technology has left many teachers feeling vulnerable, forcing them to question their safety and their relationships with students as they navigate an environment where AI tools are readily weaponized for harassment.