Raleigh students accused of using deepfakes to cyberbully, spread hoax threats
Students at a Raleigh high school face disciplinary action as well as potential criminal charges for sharing offensive computer-generated images of a classmate to cyberbully the student.
In messages sent Wednesday to families and students at Leesville Road High School, Principal Shejuanna Jacobs said some students created and shared artificial intelligence-generated, inappropriate images of another student on social media and spread false rumors about them.
Jacobs said those actions also led to the circulation of hoax threats related to the images. It triggered an investigation by the Wake County school system’s Security Department that determined the threats and posts were unsubstantiated and not credible.
“Still, spreading this kind of harmful content has real consequences,” Jacobs said in the letter to students. “Sending threatening messages, sharing threatening messages, starting a rumor that incites fear, or even sharing a rumor that incites fear are all serious offenses that could result in disciplinary action and criminal charges.”
Citing privacy laws, Wake said it could not provide details of the “offensive” and “inappropriate” images. The district also did not provide any details about the victim such as age, gender, race or grade.
The incident at Leesville reflects a disturbing national trend of students using AI to generate “deepfake” images to harass and bully other students.
‘Cyberbullying will not be tolerated’
The students will face consequences for their actions. Jacobs said the school immediately identified the students involved and contacted them and their parents.
“Federal student privacy laws prohibit us from sharing individual student information,” Jacobs wrote in the message to parents. “However, I want to be clear that anything that causes a disruption to the school environment can result in disciplinary action.”
A district spokesperson confirmed Thursday that disciplinary action is being taken against the students. The spokesperson also said that law enforcement is involved through the school resource officer.
“I also want to be very clear: cyberbullying will not be tolerated,” Jacobs wrote in her letter to students. “Using technology to hurt, embarrass or threaten others is harmful and goes against district policy.”
The principal asked students to not make threatening statements or start or share rumors that perpetuate fear among other students. Instead, Jacobs said students should share their concerns with school administrators or other school officials or use the district’s anonymous tip line, (919) 856-1911.
Deepfakes a growing national school issue
A recent N.C. State University graduate has been accused of manufacturing and sharing computer-generated porn of dozens of sorority women, The News & Observer previously reported.
Similar incidents across the country involved middle school and high school students generating deepfakes of other students.
A national survey of more than 1,100 teachers, principals and district leaders conducted in September by the EdWeek Research Center showed that 67% of them believed that their students had been misled by a deepfake.
A national survey by the Center for Democracy & Technology showed that 40% of high school students were aware of a deepfake associated with someone they know at school.
“I think it’s important for us to realize that one photo, just one posted online, is all that is needed in the age of AI to create a deepfake and so this is an issue that could potentially impact nearly every student,” Laura Tierney, CEO and founder of The Social Institute, said in an interview Thursday with The N&O.
The Durham-based Social Institute works to teach social media skills to students, including how to spot AI deepfakes.
North Carolina considers social media bills
Concerns about minors using social media led the state House to pass a bill this week that bans social media accounts for kids under 14.
The House also passed a bill this week that requires school districts to teach students social media literacy skills. The legislation would also ban the use of TikTok on school district devices.
Concerns about the harms caused by social media have led the state House and Senate to both pass bills this session requiring schools to restrict the use of cellphones during instructional time.
Schools should be expected to teach social media literacy to students as they do now with driver’s education, according to Tierney.
“When you’re giving a child access to communicate with different people and to post things about themselves that can impact their reputation,” Tierney said, “education is crucial to make sure they’re prepared to use that tool. So I think of those bills on social media education as the new driver’s ed, and it’s about time.”
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 12:32 PM.
