WESTFIELD, NJ --- Westfield parents, students and community members are demanding action after word got out at Westfield High School that at least one boy from the school had created and shared pornographic images using photos of the faces of some of the school's female students.
The pictures were made on a website that uses real photos of people's faces and creates nude bodies to go with them, parents were told.
The incident took place over the summer but was brought to the attention of Westfield High School administration on Oct. 20, according to Mary Ann McGann, Westfield's coordinator of school & community relations.
"We aren't able to provide specific details on the number of students involved and any disciplinary actions imposed, as matters involving students are confidential," McGann said in an email.
In an email to parents Oct. 20, Principal Mary Asfendis wrote that she believed all of the photos had been deleted.
Many people in the community are not convinced that the photos have been erased from existence.
At a meeting held in her home Monday, Dorota Mani, whose daughter was told she was one of the victims, said the creation of these images could have consequences long into the future.
"Somebody will see it somebody will make a decision," Mani said. "Her future will be influenced. ... My heart goes to the girls, not only the victims, but also Westfield High School girls. We right now have a platform that we can use to educate our children. What do we do? We pretend that nothing has happened, those children, those girls believe that they are not important enough, not good enough to take a stand and do something for them, which I find unacceptable and I refuse to comply with this."
Dorota's 14-year-old daughter, Francesca Mani, also spoke at the meeting, and agreed to be quoted in this article.
"Last Friday, I was called down to the office, and it was confirmed that I was one of the AI victims. Of course, after I left the office, I started crying and when I was walking through the hallways, I saw a group of guys, boys laughing at a group of girls who are crying," she said.
"That's when I realized that I shouldn't be sad about this, I should be mad," she said. "So I came home and I told my mom about what had to happen. And I said, 'Hey, Mom, we need to do something about this. And we need justice for the girls.'"
Some of the girls are afraid to post their photos on social media after the incident, Francesca Mani said.
"They deleted their social media accounts," she said. "You think there are creepy guys out there, but you wouldn't think that one of your classmates would be the one violating you that way."
Dorota Mani believes that the boys behind the incident should be expelled or sent to other schools.
"The girls should not be punished by being around them," she said.
McGann told TAPinto Westfield that the high school immediately conducted an investigation based on the district's student code of conduct, and that the Westfield Police Department and WHS school resource officer were immediately notified and consulted throughout that investigation.
As to criminal charges, Mayor Shelley Brindle, who was at the meeting, said that as of Monday four parents had come forward to speak with police about the matter, but that more evidence was needed before anyone could be charged with a crime.
"The only thing I can ask is if the police call you and ask you to provide a statement please cooperate, because they're not getting much cooperation," Brindle said at the meeting. "They also don't have any pictures. There's no evidence. There's no pictures."
Interviews conducted by school administrators without a parent or lawyer present is not admissible in court, Brindle told the parents.
"In order to bring any criminal investigation to fruition, we must always have the cooperation and participation of those involved --- from victims to witnesses," Police Chief Christopher Battiloro told TAPinto Westfield. "Victim and witness statements are often required and essential for criminal complaint approval. They establish probable cause, which is the threshold for making arrests and/or criminally charging persons."
Anyone with information should contact the police department at 908-789-4000 x0, he said.
"We will dispatch a patrol officer to respond to your location to collect that information. In turn, it will be forwarded to our Detective Bureau in the form of a report for follow-up action," Battiloro said.
Alternatively, people can go in person to the police department, he said.
Moving Forward
The Westfield High School counseling department has met individually with students seeking support and the WHS administration and counseling department met with the entire grade level in small groups to discuss the incident, provide support and detail district policies related to inappropriate use of technology, McGann told TAPinto Westfield.
"All school districts are grappling with the challenges and impact of artificial intelligence and other technology available to students at any time and anywhere," Westfield Schools Superintendent Dr. Raymond González said in an email.
"The Westfield Public School District has safeguards in place to prevent this from happening on our network and school-issued devices," González said. "We continue to strengthen our efforts by educating our students and establishing clear guidelines to ensure that these new technologies are used responsibly in our schools and beyond."
State Senator Jon Bramnick, who attended the meeting, said more legislation was needed to address AI crimes, which could help school administrators know quickly what to do when incidents occur.
And, he said, "There's work that has to be done in terms of increasing the penalties."
Dorota Mani isn't waiting around.
"This is the time to unite and demand immediate action to protect our children," she told the group gathered Monday.
About 20 parents and community members attended that meeting, as well as the mayor, Senator Bramnick, Councilwoman Linda Habgood, Councilwoman Dawn Mackey, Councilwoman Emily Root and School Board Member Charles Gelinas (who noted that he was attending in an individual capacity and not on behalf of the board).
In addition, Mani said that over 100 parents called her after a letter to the editor that she wrote was published on TAPinto. She's hoping to continue connecting with them.
Mani said she wants to the school district to provide students better education about the dangers that come with AI technology.
"I also believe that the training should be provided to our students, not by the teachers who already have enough on their plates, but rather by specialists who are trained in this complex and ever-changing new technology," Mani said.
"AI is not new," Mani said. "Educators should be the first ones to learn it and to protect our students, right? And by protecting I mean, yes, we should put policies in place ... But it also means we should be educating our children, both boys and girls. I feel that we failed."