NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A teacher at Nashville Big Picture High School was fired after students reported him taking pictures of them and making AI videos of them without their consent.
Mario Mumphrey was terminated from his position as a tenured teacher in Metro Nashville Public Schools, a July 7 letter to him revealed. In the letter, MNPS superintendent Adrienne Battle described multiple incidents of students reporting multiple instances of misconduct from Mumphrey, that all came to the attention of the school during the spring 2026 semester.
Students reported incidents involving Mumphrey making inappropriate comments, taking pictures of students with his personal cell phone, making AI videos of male students doing things like a "gay or zesty dance" or a "feminine dance" and texting students asking for their whereabouts after school hours.
Mumphrey was suspended without pay from school for three days in January 2026 for inappropriate physical contact with a student, inappropriate communication with a student, and trying to influence staff members' statements in the investigation that resulted in the suspension.
Mumphrey also received two separate counseling memos. The first of which, in 2023, claimed that he failed to meet deadlines and got paid for tutoring a student after school on school property. In 2024 he received a memo for inappropriate and retaliatory communication during an IEP meeting. The letter made it clear that Mumphrey is not being disciplined again for these incidents but they were taken into account during the termination process.
The letter stated that Big Picture High School Principal, Brenda Diaz, reported Mumphrey to police and the Department of Children's Services. According to the letter, there are currently DCS investigations into Mumphrey's conduct.
According to a MNPS spokesperson, Mumphrey will have the opportunity to appeal through the established termination hearing process. The spokesperson also said that MNPS provides guidance to staff regarding the appropriate use of artificial intelligence, including expectations for student photos and graphics.
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