One of East London’s top schools has asked police and international cyber security experts for help in tracking down the people behind two TikTok accounts using artificial intelligence (AI) to target teachers.
The account has published multiple videos mocking teachers, including videos of inappropriate behavior and sexual advances by some staff members.
It brazenly challenged the school to “work harder” to identify whoever was behind the account.
Sterling High School confirmed Wednesday that it has formally filed criminal charges after two TikTok accounts posted various edited clips of staff members alleging misconduct.
The school announced that her name and photo were used without her permission.
One of the two accounts that still exists on the social media platform posted 13 AI videos impersonating other school staff.
The first video, created on February 3, is said to be an AI-generated video using a photo of one of the school staff members who was scripted to dance. The caption reads, “If you can’t keep your hands off 8th graders, dance.”
Another video, using the same staff member’s face and a photo of another staff member, depicts girls getting excited when they wear Nike pants to practice. The page also features the faces of three other teachers, claiming they are the “worst teachers”.
The account has three followers and each video has over 1,000 views.
Meanwhile, another account, believed to be the oldest, posted an AI-generated video using the face of a male teacher and has 10 followers. The video has been viewed more than 6,000 times and is captioned, “Dance or teach class.” The teacher is being made to dance.
The school declined to comment further on the matter, but said teachers were deeply affected by the incident and asked that their privacy be respected.
In a recent letter to parents from Principal Doug Pryor, the school said the posts contained discriminatory claims and content that violated staff privacy and dignity, as well as laws such as the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
The school says it attempted to address the issue internally on February 13th and 14th.
“Students were asked to provide information and one school staff member hosted a school assembly to explain the seriousness and impact of creating and sharing such content,” he said.
Despite these interventions, additional videos were uploaded, including one directly asking the school to “do more” to identify those responsible.
The account even mentioned high-ranking officials at the school.
“I’m in 9th grade…come test my gang,” it said.
In response, the school contacted Jason Jordaan, a cybercrime expert who works internationally on cyber activity and crime, working with organizations such as the FBI and Scotland Yard.
“Jordaan visited the school on Friday and we met with him to receive professional guidance on appropriate next steps,” Prior said.
“We are currently pursuing legal action through the courts and SA Police.”
On Wednesday, Jordan said he would eventually find the culprit.
“I can confirm that the school has asked me to cooperate with the investigation. I can confirm that the investigation is ongoing. I am reluctant to disclose.” [more on] investigation.
“However, the reality is that the culprit will be identified through investigation.
“They will face criminal charges for what they did. They are making serious accusations against the teacher of committing a sex crime, which is incredibly harmful,” Jordaan said.
Unfortunately they will be caught, now we just have to collect all the evidence.
— Jason Jordaan, Cybercrime Expert
Jordaan said the perpetrators will face criminal prosecution for defamation and injury, as well as civil lawsuits.
“The person doing this is likely a student at the school and if they are over the age of 14, they could be held responsible for their actions.
“What’s so concerning to me is that we notified the kids at last week’s gathering what was going on, and instead of stopping, they basically doubled down and reposted that content to TikTok.
“Unfortunately for them, they will be arrested. It’s just a matter of gathering all the evidence,” he said.
A Sterling parent who spoke to the Dispatch on condition of anonymity said: “It’s horrible what they say about teachers. Now they’re asking their kids questions about what’s going on every day at school.”
“Instead of focusing on the identity of the whistleblower, the investigation should also look into the allegations regarding the teacher.”
The state education department said it is waiting for a report from district leaders to decide on the next course of action.
“We condemn this,” said state education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima. The police department will work with the school to uncover the truth.
“Education takes place in mutual trust. Issues like this undermine trust and need to be resolved.
“We need parents to trust that educators are doing what’s best for their children, but we also need to recognize the rights of teachers, which are the foundation of education.
“We have to find out what actually happened.”
Police were not available to answer questions at the time of publication.
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