A North Carolina family sued Google over allegations that a 13-year-old student used Gemini-powered AI Mode in Google Search on a school-issued Chromebook and that safeguards failed to protect her. The lawsuit also raises claims about the school’s monitoring system. These are allegations in a California case, not findings about what happened. The New York Times reported the case and Google’s response.
The student, identified in the lawsuit by the pseudonym Emma, is described as a seventh grader in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The family’s account involves two separate safeguards: Google’s AI features and the school’s alert system.
What the Google lawsuit alleges
The family alleges that Emma accessed Gemini through Google Search AI Mode on a school Chromebook and that Google’s product design and safety measures contributed to a mental-health crisis. The lawsuit includes claims about defective design, failure to warn and negligence. The plaintiffs’ lawyers’ case summary describes those claims; they remain allegations.
What plaintiffs’ lawyers say about the school alert
The plaintiffs’ lawyers say a former school counselor continued receiving monitoring alerts after leaving the school. Their account says third-party monitoring software was misconfigured and that the alert reached the former counselor, who then alerted the family. The lawyers’ case page also says the alert came nine months after the counselor had left.
The New York Times separately reports that a school message warning of imminent danger prompted Emma’s parents to look into her account. The lawsuit’s allegations concern both the AI interaction and how the school alert reached the family.
Google’s response and education-account settings
Google spokesperson José Castañeda told The New York Times that the company was reviewing the claims. He said Google had worked with health experts and built crisis-support protections into Search AI features, including connections to real-world support.
Separately, Mashable reported that Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom were set to be off by default for education accounts unless schools opted in. That reported settings change does not resolve the family’s allegations about Emma’s experience. (Mashable’s report)
