Baltimore, Maryland – A high school teacher in Maryland is facing charges after allegedly using artificial intelligence to create a fake audio recording, where racist and antisemitic remarks were falsely attributed to his principal. Dazhon Darien, a physical education teacher and athletic director at Pikesville High School, was accused of manipulating the voice of principal Eric Eiswert in January, according to authorities.
Authorities have confirmed that the recording was not authentic and was created using AI technology, which led to Darien being charged with disrupting school activities and other offenses. Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough addressed reporters in Towson, highlighting the impact of the incident on the Pikesville High School community and Principal Eiswert and his family.
Darien was apprehended at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where he was scheduled to travel to Houston. During a security check, questions arose regarding the packing of his gun, leading to the discovery of an arrest warrant against him. The investigation revealed additional charges against Darien, including theft, retaliation against a witness, and stalking.
The tension between Darien and Eiswert stemmed from work performance issues, with Darien facing the possibility of his contract not being renewed. Detectives found that Darien had created the fake recording as a form of retaliation against Eiswert, who had initiated a probe into potential mishandling of school funds related to coaching payments.
The audio recording, which circulated on social media, contained derogatory remarks aimed at Black and Jewish individuals as well as two teachers at the school. Eiswert has maintained the recording’s inauthenticity and has been on administrative leave since its dissemination. The school has been under interim management, with plans to involve Eiswert and the Pikesville community in decision-making for the upcoming school year.
Through a forensic analysis, authorities traced the email used to send the recording to Darien’s grandmother’s internet service provider, linking it to him. The investigation also uncovered Darien’s use of school network resources to access AI tools prior to the distribution of the audio clip. Efforts are underway to terminate Darien’s employment with the school district.