Teachers push back on a Realbotix M-Series humanoid headed to a New York high school

A New York school district is about to put a Realbotix M-Series humanoid in a high school classroom, and the teachers' union wants it paused. The Guardian reported the fight on July 25. We are filing it for HomeBotRadar readers on July 26, 2026.

Salamanca High School sits on the Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation. The Cattaraugus County district bought a robot nicknamed Sally for $57,590. Realbotix says the district will be the first in the U.S. to pair a humanoid with an AI teaching assistant in a school pilot. The company names the AI side Optio and says the M-Series unit uses conversation, facial expression, and real-time interaction inside the district's STEM program for fall 2026.

That M-Series platform is the same family as Melody in our catalog: upper-body social hardware, stationary from the waist down, sold on quote rather than a consumer cart. Aria is Realbotix's wheeled F-Series sibling. Neither was built as a K-12 teacher substitute, which is exactly why this deployment is drawing heat.

Why teachers and residents object

The Salamanca Teachers' Association calls the plan inappropriate and says it dehumanizes the job. President Lacey Pihlblad told The Guardian the union wants the robot and the software paused until more people can weigh in. Concerns include Realbotix's corporate history, how student data will be stored, and whether the unit can record.

Melinda Person, president of New York State United Teachers, called the rollout "really inappropriate" and "kind of creepy," arguing schools need more caring adults, not more machines that simulate human relationships.

Local residents also criticized the choice of a school where nearly 40% of students are Native American. Substitute teacher Sierra May Abrams and Seneca Nation member Alyson Brown framed the pilot as culturally tone-deaf and tied it to boarding-school trauma in the community. The Seneca Nation declined to comment to The Guardian.

What Realbotix and the state say

A Realbotix spokesperson told The Guardian the program is a limited fall 2026 pilot meant to complement, not replace, teachers under district oversight. The company did not answer the union's pause request or the cultural criticism in that statement. The Guardian also notes Realbotix's 2024 acquisition of Simulacra (linked to realistic adult dolls via Abyss Creations). Realbotix has denied that those products relate to the school pilot.

The New York State Education Department said it has raised serious concerns with the district about student privacy, safeguards, and the risk that a robot could take on work that should stay with trained professionals. The district and superintendent did not respond to The Guardian's requests for comment.

What this means for HomeBotRadar

This is a school deployment and governance story, not a new home SKU. We are not adding Sally as a separate catalog row. Melody already covers the M-Series hardware we can document for buyers: roughly $95,000+ starting price on Realbotix's sheet, quote ordering, and greeter-style interaction. The Salamanca purchase price is a district deal, not a new MSRP for shoppers.

If you are tracking Realbotix for companionship or front-of-house use, open Melody and Aria on the catalog, then compare them on Compare. Watch whether New York lets the fall pilot proceed, and what privacy rules stick when a humanoid leaves the trade-show floor and enters a classroom.