Goffstown approves deepfake ban: what educators need to know and do next
The Goffstown School Board voted to ban AI-generated images and media depicting real people without consent. The policy, listed as "JICN-JICN-R - Prohibition of Deepfake Images and Other Media," was modeled after policies in Bedford and Pinkerton. Final minutes aren't published yet, but officials say the core elements track those districts: definitions, prohibitions, and consequences.
The move follows reports that middle school students were targeted with explicit deepfake images. Families say the impact was immediate and serious - including students not wanting to attend school. Superintendent Brian Balke limited comments on the advice of counsel. Goffstown Police are involved.
Why this matters for school leaders
Deepfakes are now a student safety, conduct, and well-being issue. Policy alone isn't enough - you need a clear process, staff training, and student education. The goal is simple: prevent harm, respond fast, and support affected students.
Core pieces your policy should include
- Definition: What counts as a deepfake or synthetic media depicting a real person.
- Scope: On campus, on district devices and networks, school-sponsored activities, and off-campus conduct that disrupts school or targets the school community.
- Prohibited conduct: Creating, requesting, sharing, or possessing deepfakes of students or staff; soliciting others to create them; posting or linking to them.
- Consent and privacy: No depiction of a real person without explicit permission; stricter protections for minors.
- Reporting: Anonymous and direct reporting options for students and staff, with non-retaliation language.
- Investigation protocol: Timelines, roles, evidence handling, and coordination with law enforcement as needed.
- Discipline: Progressive consequences aligned with the code of conduct; alternatives for younger students focused on education and restoration.
- Student support: Counseling, workload flexibility, safety planning, and help with takedown requests.
- Legal alignment: Cross-reference bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, Title IX, and state law.
- Staff expectations: Duty to report, boundaries with AI tools, and professional conduct standards.
- Vendors and platforms: Requirements for third-party apps and extracurriculars; no "workarounds."
- Education: Media literacy, consent, digital citizenship, and bystander responsibility.
- Parent/guardian communication: Notification process and ongoing updates.
- Records and appeals: Documentation standards and appeal pathways.
30/60/90-day implementation plan
- Next 30 days
- Publish the policy, FAQs, and a plain-language student summary.
- Set up an anonymous reporting form and a single point of contact.
- Brief principals, counselors, SROs, and coaches on roles and boundaries.
- Notify families: what's banned, how to report, how students will be supported.
- Update AUPs and signage; add a short lesson to advisory/homeroom.
- Next 60 days
- Deliver staff PD on identification, response, and trauma-informed communication.
- Run student sessions on consent, media manipulation, and consequences.
- Coordinate with local police on evidence handling and takedowns.
- Review filters and blocklists for known deepfake-generation sites (consistent with CIPA).
- Align procedures with Title IX and bullying/harassment workflows.
- Next 90 days
- Audit incidents and refine the process; share anonymized trends with your board.
- Launch student peer ambassadors and parent info nights.
- Run a tabletop exercise: report → triage → investigation → support → closure.
Incident response checklist (use immediately)
- Ensure the student's immediate safety and privacy. Do not ask them to view the content.
- Preserve evidence: URLs, usernames, timestamps, device IDs. Do not copy or redistribute images.
- Secure school devices and accounts; document who accessed what and when.
- Notify parents/guardians and offer counseling and academic flexibility.
- Loop in law enforcement when coercion, explicit content, threats, or ongoing distribution are involved.
- Request platform removal and send takedown notices; track ticket numbers.
- Protect the student from retaliation and rumor-spreading; monitor impacted classes and groups.
- Document every step and keep communication focused, factual, and limited to need-to-know.
Education and prevention that works
- Teach consent and image rights early and often; include scenarios specific to AI.
- Cover basic detection (lighting, artifacts, context) and why sharing "to check if it's real" still causes harm.
- Make expectations visible: classroom posters, LMS banners, and club/athletics reminders.
- Give students language to report safely and support peers.
Legal context in New Hampshire
State law (2025) makes creating or distributing deepfakes a felony when there's intent to harm the person depicted. District policy should complement, not replace, legal action. Work with your attorney to align definitions, procedures, and documentation with state requirements.
Community voices and district status
Parents in Goffstown reported explicit deepfakes targeting three middle school girls, prompting calls for action. "It's sad when your daughter, at 14, says she doesn't want to go to school anymore," one parent shared. District leaders approved the policy and noted they were advised by counsel to limit public comment. Police are investigating.
Helpful resources
- U.S. Department of Education: AI and the Future of Teaching and Learning
- NCMEC Take It Down: Help remove intimate images of minors online
Staff development
If your team needs practical training on safe, ethical classroom use of AI, see curated options by role here: AI courses by job. Focus on policies, prompts, and classroom routines that reduce risk and improve clarity.
Bottom line: set clear rules, teach the why, respond fast, and support students. Do those four things well, and you'll reduce harm - and build trust - across your community.
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