An audio recording made using AI tools was made to show that a principal at Pikesville High School in Maryland had made disparaging and offensive remarks.
The voice recording of the principal at the Baltimore County high school making racist and antisemitic comments surfaced on social media. The principal reportedly stated that “Ungrateful” Black students could not “test their way out of a paper bag” and made a derogatory remark concerning Jews, all caught in a secretly-recorded audio clip.
Further investigation revealed that the recording was fabricated using artificial intelligence programs. Authorities accuse Dazhon Darien, the school’s 31-year-old athletic director, of orchestrating the creation of the false recording to seek retribution against Principal Eric Eiswert, who had investigated Darien’s alleged mishandling of school funds. Subsequently, Darien faces multiple charges, including theft, disturbing school operations, retaliating against a witness, and stalking.
The bogus recording led to Eiswert’s suspension, the appointment of interim principals, and an escalation in security protocol due to an influx of complaints and aggravated phone calls.
