Arizona family sues school district after AI flags unsent joke as threat, leading to 45-day suspension
A student at Marana High School in Arizona typed a joke threat in an unsent email draft on a school-issued laptop while at home with his mother. AI monitoring software flagged the message, and the Marana Unified School District suspended him for 45 days under its zero-tolerance policy. The family is now suing, alleging the punishment violated the student's rights, as the message was never sent and posed no actual threat. The case raises questions about AI surveillance in schools and the criminalization of careless speech.
- Company involved
- Marana Unified School District
1 source article · read the reporting →
Fired Teacher Says AI Tainted Review And Arbitration - law360.com
The AI-generated performance evaluation contributed to the teacher's termination.
- Company involved
- Concord Public Schools
1 source article · read the reporting →
Tromsø Municipality Used AI-Generated Fake Sources in School Closure Proposal
Tromsø municipality used artificial intelligence to generate research sources for a proposal to restructure schools and kindergartens, which included closing eight schools. Several of the cited sources, including books attributed to professors, were found to be entirely fabricated. The municipality's chief executive admitted to using AI as a tool and halted the consultation process for six months, apologising for the errors. The incident has been described as Norway's first major AI scandal in the public sector.
- Company involved
- Tromsø kommune
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
4 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-Generated Fake Photo of Orlando West High School Fire Causes Outrage and EMS Warning
A fake AI-generated photo depicting Orlando West High School in Soweto on fire was circulated online, prompting an investigation by Johannesburg Emergency Management Services. EMS spokesperson Kagiso Phasha confirmed the image was a hoax and warned that such pranks cause unnecessary expenditure and divert critical resources. The incident has sparked outrage and a stern warning that those responsible will face legal consequences.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Lancaster Country Day School student used AI to create nude images of female classmates
A student at Lancaster Country Day School allegedly used an artificial intelligence program to generate nude images featuring the faces of more than 20 female students during the 2023-2024 school year. The school first learned of the images in November 2023 but was unable to corroborate the report until a second allegation in May 2024, after which the student was removed and law enforcement was notified. Parents have criticised the school's handling and communication, and an investigation by local authorities is ongoing. The incident has highlighted a legal grey area, as Pennsylvania currently has no law specifically criminalising the creation of such AI-generated images.
- Company involved
- Lancaster Country Day School
8 source articles · read the reporting →
AOS 47 teacher targeted by AI-generated deepfake video
A teacher in the AOS 47 school district in Maine was the victim of a malicious deepfake video created using artificial intelligence. The video, which falsely portrayed the teacher, was circulated online and accessed by a small group of students. The school district reported the account and the post was taken down, and the superintendent expressed full support for the teacher, condemning the digital impersonation.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Universities' use of race in student risk algorithms harms Black and Latinx students
The Markup found that several universities, including UMass Amherst, UW–Milwaukee, and Texas A&M, use EAB's Navigate software which incorporates race as a predictor of student dropout risk. The algorithms label Black and Latinx students as high risk at disproportionately high rates compared to White students. Students, professors, and experts worry this is pushing minority students out of math and science majors through biased advising.
- Company involved
- University of Massachusetts Amherst,University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee,Texas A&M University,Texas Tech University,South Dakota State University
- AI system involved
- Navigate
1 source article · read the reporting →
Baltimore County Schools Relocate Students After AI Gun False Alarm
On November 7, 2025, an AI security system called Omnilert reported a possible gun at Parkville High School in Baltimore County, Maryland. Students were relocated while police searched the school, but no threat was found. The incident follows a similar false alarm at Kenwood High School in October, where Omnilert mistook a bag of chips for a gun, leading to students being handcuffed. Baltimore County Public Schools has promised annual training on protocols for responding to Omnilert alerts.
- Company involved
- Baltimore County Public Schools
- AI system involved
- Omnilert
1 source article · read the reporting →
LAUSD shelves AI chatbot after vendor AllHere collapses
Los Angeles Unified School District turned off its 'Ed' AI chatbot on June 14, 2024, after the vendor AllHere furloughed most staff due to financial collapse. The chatbot, which cost $3 million, was designed to provide students and parents with academic guidance and school information. A former AllHere employee alleged that student data was improperly shared with third parties and processed overseas, raising privacy concerns. The district stated it will ensure privacy protections and plans to eventually restore the chatbot.
- Company involved
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- AI system involved
- Ed
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Parents sue Hingham Public Schools over AI project D grade
The parents of a Hingham High School senior allege the school unfairly punished him for using AI on a social studies project, giving him a D and Saturday detention despite no handbook rule against AI. They say the grade kept him out of the National Honor Society and threatens his applications to top-tier colleges. The family sued Hingham High School administration and the school district in Plymouth County District Court, seeking a grade change and NHS admission. Hingham Public Schools has declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.
- Company involved
- Hingham Public Schools
2 source articles · read the reporting →
New York City Department of Education Releases Flawed Teacher Ratings Publicly
In February 2012, the New York City Department of Education publicly released individual Teacher Data Reports rating over 12,000 teachers based on value-added analysis of student test scores. The ratings, originally intended for internal use, were disclosed after a court ruled in favor of media organizations under the Freedom of Information Act. The teachers' union and education experts criticised the data as unreliable due to large margins of error and failure to account for demographic factors, warning that the release would unfairly shame or praise educators. The Department defended the ratings as a useful perspective on teacher effectiveness.
- Company involved
- New York City Department of Education
- AI system involved
- Teacher Data Reports
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Houston teachers sue over secret EVAAS evaluation algorithm
Houston Independent School District used the SAS Institute's EVAAS system, a proprietary algorithm, to evaluate teacher performance based on student test scores. The Houston Federation of Teachers and several teachers sued in 2014, alleging the system violated their Fourteenth Amendment procedural due process rights because the algorithm is a trade secret and teachers cannot verify the accuracy of their scores. A federal magistrate judge refused to dismiss the procedural due process claims in May 2017, ruling that teachers must have an opportunity to test the accuracy of the scores that could cost them their jobs.
- Company involved
- Houston Independent School District
- AI system involved
- Educational Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS)
1 source article · read the reporting →
Lockport City School District's Facial Recognition System Misidentified Black Faces and Weapons
Lockport City School District deployed SN Technologies' AEGIS face and weapons detection system in January 2020. Parents and the New York Civil Liberties Union allege the system misidentifies Black people more often than white people and falsely detects weapons such as broom handles. A lawsuit was filed against the New York State Education Department seeking to ban facial recognition in schools. SN Technologies denied misleading the district.
- Company involved
- Lockport City School District
- AI system involved
- AEGIS
1 source article · read the reporting →
Teachers find no value in SAS EVAAS system in Southwest School District
A study examined the SAS Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS®) used by the Southwest School District (SSD) to evaluate teacher effectiveness for high-stakes consequences. Teachers reported that the system produced inconsistent results, was biased by student factors, and reduced morale and collaboration. The study found that teachers did not use the data formatively as intended, and unintended consequences included heightened pressure and teaching to the test.
- Company involved
- Southwest School District (SSD)
- AI system involved
- SAS Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS®)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Boston Public Schools reverses algorithm-generated bus schedule after parent protest
In December 2017, Boston Public Schools announced new school start times and bus schedules generated by an algorithm designed by MIT researchers. Some parents, predominantly white, protested the changes, arguing they were unfair. The city reversed the decision after the protest, despite the algorithm's aim to improve equity and sleep health for the majority of students. The incident highlighted the lack of transparency in algorithmic decision-making.
- Company involved
- Boston Public Schools
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Hangzhou No. 11 Middle School installs facial recognition system to monitor students
Hangzhou No. 11 Middle School has deployed a smart classroom behaviour management system, developed with Hikvision, that uses facial recognition to take attendance and analyse students' expressions and behaviour. The system alerts teachers when students appear inattentive. The school says it records only behavioural state information, not video, and that it will be installed in all classes. Some people have raised privacy concerns.
- Company involved
- 杭州第十一中学
- AI system involved
- 智慧课堂行为管理系统
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Anderstorp gymnasium trials facial recognition to register student attendance
Anderstorp gymnasium in Skellefteå, Sweden, used a facial recognition system for a few weeks in autumn 2018 to automatically register students' attendance when they entered a classroom. The system, made by an unnamed manufacturer, replaced teachers' manual attendance records for one class. Pupils were mostly satisfied, and the school's principal described the technology as safe. Skellefteå municipality and the manufacturer are discussing a possible continuation, with the manufacturer recommending consultation with Datainspektionen before scaling up.
- Company involved
- Skellefteå kommun
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Beijing school uses Hanwang emotion recognition system to monitor student behaviour
Niulanshan First Secondary School in Beijing has installed Hanwang Technology's Classroom Care System, which photographs students every second and analyses their facial expressions and behaviour. The system sends weekly reports to teachers and parents, and one student was described as low participation in English class despite being recorded as focused 94% of the time. The school has been highlighted in a report by Article 19, which says such emotion recognition tools rely on junk science and risk eroding privacy and human rights.
- Company involved
- Niulanshan First Secondary School
- AI system involved
- Classroom Care System
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Lake Zurich High School students used AI to generate explicit images of female classmates
In February 2026, students at Lake Zurich High School used artificial intelligence to generate sexually explicit images of female classmates without their consent. The school district acknowledged the incident and notified police, who are investigating. More than 40 girls from fifth grade to high school were reportedly affected. The school provided support and issued disciplinary consequences, while the police investigation continues.
- Company involved
- Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95
1 source article · read the reporting →
Middle schooler beats Edgenuity grading algorithm to get perfect score
A seventh-grade student in the Los Angeles Unified School District received a failing grade on a history assignment graded by Edgenuity's automated scoring algorithm. With help from his mother, a history professor, he reverse-engineered the algorithm by writing a paragraph with relevant keywords and a jumble of words, earning a perfect score. The incident highlights concerns about the accuracy and fairness of automated grading systems in education.
- Company involved
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- AI system involved
- Edgenuity
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Wisconsin’s dropout prediction algorithm labels students high risk with racial bias
Wisconsin’s Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS) uses machine learning to predict middle school students' likelihood of graduating on time, relying on factors including race and income. The Markup found the algorithm frequently mislabels students, with a higher false alarm rate for Black and Hispanic students. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has not informed schools of the racial disparities and continues to use the system.
- Company involved
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- AI system involved
- Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Nevada's AI grad score model cuts funding for low-income students
Nevada replaced its income-based school funding formula with a machine learning model developed by Infinite Campus that generates a 'grad score' for each student. The model reduced the number of students eligible for supplemental funding from 288,000 to 63,000, disproportionately affecting low-income students. Critics argue the model lacks transparency and de-emphasizes economic status, potentially leaving many high-poverty schools underfunded.
- Company involved
- Nevada Department of Education
- AI system involved
- Grad score model
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Facial recognition trialled in Australian schools to mark attendance
Five Australian schools are trialling a facial recognition system from LoopLearn to automate student attendance. The system scans students' faces and sends attendance data to an app. Privacy experts have raised concerns about data security and surveillance. The Victorian government previously tried to stop the trial due to privacy risks.
- Company involved
- Clarendon College
- AI system involved
- LoopLearn
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Cleveland State University's room scan requirement ruled unconstitutional
A federal judge ruled that Cleveland State University's requirement for a student to undergo a 360-degree room scan before an online exam was an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment. The student, enrolled at the public university, was told shortly before the exam that he would need to scan his private space. The court found that the university's justifications did not outweigh the privacy protections of the home. No final judgment or injunction has been issued yet.
- Company involved
- Cleveland State University
10 source articles · read the reporting →
