Amityville police investigating 'disturbing' allegations of AI, social media misuse by student
Amityville Memorial High School Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Amityville police are investigating allegations of “deeply troubling” misuse of artificial intelligence and social media by a student, according to a letter sent from the school district to the community.
“While we cannot share details of the allegations due to privacy laws, I can say that what has been reported to us is disturbing, inappropriate, deeply troubling, and violates the privacy and dignity of the students targeted,” Superintendent Gina Talbert said in the letter, dated May 17. The district provided a copy of the letter to Newsday on Friday.
Amityville's police chief, Frank Caramanica Jr., confirmed his department is investigating an incident involving a juvenile at the high school after a parent claimed their child had been targeted. He did not release further details.
Talbert said the district is also looking into the claims and "will take appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with our district’s Code of Conduct."
Officials urged students who believe they were impacted or targeted by "these images or related social media activity" to contact police or district officials.
“Reports will be taken seriously and handled with sensitivity and care. Our priority is to support affected students and families while ensuring that all appropriate steps are taken to address this conduct,” Talbert said. She also recommended parents speak with their children about appropriate online use and the consequences of misusing technology.
“As always, our top priority is the safety, security, and well-being of our students,” she added.
Melinda Lichioveri, a parent of a student at the high school, told Newsday she was worried about the claims of artificial intelligence misuse.
“It's very concerning. What is the school doing to counter this?" she said in a phone interview.
She added, “Are they going to have an assembly and have a professional talk to these kids about the dangers of this?"
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
