The record

Where automated decisions went wrong

Incidents gathered from public reporting around the world. Each one links to the articles it came from. None of it is a finding that anyone broke the law.

Reports people file about their own experience are not shown here and never will be without their agreement. Tell us what happened to you.

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44 incidents closest to “PowerSchool Group” · matched on meaning · public 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 →

SafeRent Settles Class Action Over Tenant Screening for Voucher Holders

Mary Louis and Monica Douglas filed a class action lawsuit in 2022 alleging that SafeRent Solutions' SafeRent Score product discriminated against rental applicants in Massachusetts who held public housing vouchers, violating fair housing and consumer protection laws. SafeRent denied wrongdoing. The court approved a settlement in November 2024, and payments were distributed to eligible class members in 2025 and 2026.

Company involved
SafeRent Solutions, LLC
AI system involved
SafeRent Score

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-9YB8BH1 Mar 2020

University of Illinois Ends Proctorio Contract Over Accessibility Concerns

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced it will not renew its emergency contract with Proctorio, an online proctoring software, citing significant accessibility, privacy, and equity concerns. Students reported that the AI system unfairly flagged individuals with disabilities, nonwhite students, and those wearing headscarves as suspicious during exams. The decision follows student petitions and campaigns against the software, which they described as invasive spyware. The university is exploring alternative assessment methods.

Company involved
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
AI system involved
Proctorio

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-Z8TT5D1 Dec 2020

University of Toronto exam monitoring software disadvantages BIPOC students

The University of Toronto continued using ProctorU and Examity exam monitoring software despite reports that the facial recognition technology fails to identify BIPOC students, causing stress and delays. Students like Maame Adjoa experienced the AI system being unable to verify their identity, requiring manual intervention. The university acknowledged the equity concerns but has not banned the software, while ProctorU stated that human proctors make final decisions. The issue has drawn criticism from US senators and researchers who highlight built-in bias in AI facial recognition.

Company involved
University of Toronto
AI system involved
ProctorU, Examity

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-76437T1 Jan 2020

University of Texas at Austin Stops Using Biased Ph.D. Admissions Algorithm

The University of Texas at Austin's computer science department used a machine-learning system called GRADE from 2013 to 2020 to score Ph.D. applicants. Critics argued the system perpetuated bias by training on past admissions decisions and using features like institution prestige and biased language in recommendation letters. The department discontinued the system in 2020, citing maintenance difficulties, but the controversy highlighted concerns about algorithmic fairness in admissions. The system was never disclosed to applicants, and its impact on underrepresented groups remains unknown.

Company involved
University of Texas at Austin
AI system involved
GRADE

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-MZ24NZ1 Sep 2020

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 →

WF-GWKZP614 Jun 2024

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 →

WF-HM55RC24 Feb 2012

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 →

WF-HT4UHG1 Jan 2011

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 →

WF-NCRTFN1 Jan 2020

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 →

WF-L5NTEZ27 Oct 2014

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 →

WF-XA0VSX1 Dec 2017

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 →

WF-SASGFE1 Sep 2018

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 →

WF-EF57BQ1 Jan 2019

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 →

WF-XQL7UV26 Feb 2026

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 →

WF-PZC5LA1 Jan 2020

EEOC sues iTutorGroup for automated rejection of older tutor applicants

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleges that tutoring provider iTutorGroup programmed its recruitment software automatically to reject female applicants aged 55 or older and male applicants aged 60 or older. More than 200 qualified US-based applicants were denied work in 2020. The EEOC has filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York seeking back pay and damages.

Company involved
iTutorGroup

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-8VKXFD28 Jun 2020

UBC students raise concerns over Proctorio's privacy breach and discrimination

The University of British Columbia (UBC) uses Proctorio, an algorithmic test proctoring software, for remote exams. In June 2020, a UBC student reported an issue with Proctorio, and the company's CEO released the student's support chat logs, sparking privacy concerns. The AMS of UBC published an open letter alleging that Proctorio discriminates against students of colour, those with disabilities, and other groups by flagging 'abnormal' behaviours and denying access. The letter calls on UBC to end its contract with Proctorio and conduct an external audit.

Company involved
University of British Columbia
AI system involved
Proctorio

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-W8MY6X1 Sep 2020

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 →

WF-IL3CFJ1 Jul 2020

ProctorU data breach exposes 444,000 user records

ProctorU, an online exam proctoring service, confirmed a data breach after a threat actor leaked a database of user records on a hacker forum. The database contained email addresses, names, addresses, phone numbers, and hashed passwords for approximately 444,000 users, including students from universities such as UCLA, Princeton, and Harvard, as well as U.S. military members. ProctorU stated that the breach involved records from 2014 and that they are investigating the incident.

Company involved
ProctorU
AI system involved
ProctorU

8 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-XH2W9I1 Sep 2020

Proctortrack data breach exposed student data from online proctoring

Proctortrack, an online proctoring service used by universities, suffered a data breach in September 2020 when its source code was leaked online. An analysis by Consumer Reports found that the code contained hard-coded passwords and exposed the names and email addresses of over 150 students. The company acknowledged the leak but said no harm resulted. Students had been required to use the software, which performed facial recognition and recorded video during exams.

Company involved
Proctortrack
AI system involved
Proctortrack

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 →

WF-53YZFN1 Jul 2023

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 →

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