Nashville teacher fired over alleged AI use involving…

A tenured teacher at Nashville Big Picture High School, Mario Mumphery, was fired following allegations that he used artificial intelligence to manipulate photos and videos of students without their permission. The Metro Nashville Board of Education voted unanimously to terminate his employment after district leaders recommended dismissal for unprofessional conduct.

What happened

Multiple students reported that Mumphery took photos and videos of them during class and subsequently used AI tools to alter the imagery. According to a dismissal letter from Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle, the generated content included videos of students dancing in ways they considered inappropriate, as well as images portraying students in fabricated personal or family situations. Some students reported that the teacher also created cartoon or "teddy bear style" versions of their photos.

Beyond the creation of the altered media, investigators found that Mumphery shared these images and videos with other students. One report noted that he displayed a video of two male students performing a "twerking" dance to an entire class. Students expressed that these actions made them feel extremely uncomfortable. The dismissal records further detailed that the teacher allegedly texted students outside of school hours, monitored their whereabouts, and inserted himself into their personal conversations.

Principal Brenda Diaz reported the allegations to the Metro Nashville Police Department and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS). While DCS confirmed it is actively investigating, the police noted that Mumphery has no arrest history in the county. The incident occurred despite district guidelines that explicitly instruct employees not to upload student photographs into AI tools or use such technology to alter images of real students. Mumphery, who had been with the district since 2004, had previously received a three-day suspension in January for inappropriate physical contact and communication with a student. He retains the right to appeal his termination through the district’s established process.