Salamanca School District Pauses Humanoid Robot Pilot
The Salamanca City Central School District in western New York announced that it is pausing its pilot program to place a humanoid robot named Sally in a high‑school classroom. The robot, built by Realbotix, was purchased for $57,590 and was slated for 11th‑ and 12th‑grade STEAM courses starting in the fall.
The pause follows strong opposition from the New York State United Teachers union, whose president Melinda Person said a robot built by a company linked to sex dolls “has no business in our classrooms.” Teachers, parents and members of the local Seneca Nation have also raised concerns about cultural sensitivity and the dehumanising effect of a lifelike robot. State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa sent a letter expressing reservations about student‑data privacy and the potential impact of a humanoid robot in a classroom.
District officials said they will work through enhanced student‑data‑privacy agreements with the state education department and continue community engagement before deciding whether to resume the project.
Entities: Betty Rosa · Melinda Person · Realbotix · Salamanca City Central School District · Sally (humanoid robot)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Approximately 40 % of Salamanca High School students are Native American; local Seneca Nation members raised cultural concerns. (All articles)
- [● 8 SOURCES] New York State United Teachers president Melinda Person said a robot built by a company linked to sex dolls has no business in classrooms. (All articles)
- [DISPUTED] The robot, Sally costs $57,590 and was purchased by the Cattaraugus County School District. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Realbotix acquired Simulacra, a realistic sex‑doll maker, for $16.7 million in April 2024. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa sent a letter expressing concerns about the robot’s impact and student data privacy. (All articles)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Salamanca City Central School District paused its pilot with Realbotix's humanoid robot named Sally. (All articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The district will work through enhanced student data‑privacy agreements with the state education department before resuming the project. (All articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The pilot was intended for 11th‑ and 12th‑grade STEAM courses starting in the fall. (All articles)
- [● 12 SOURCES] The Salamanca City Central School District paused the pilot for the humanoid robot named Sally.