BALTIMORE -- A former high school athletic director was taken into custody on Thursday morning for allegedly utilizing artificial intelligence to mimic the school principal in a recording containing racist and antisemitic remarks about individuals within the school.
Dazhon Darien faces charges of disrupting activities at Pikesville High School, following an investigation that revealed he replicated the voice of principal Eric Eiswert and shared the audio on social media back in January. Among the names mentioned in the fabricated audio clips attributed to Darien, whose nickname is DJ, as per the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office.
Baltimore County detectives stated that Darien produced the recording as a form of retaliation against Eiswert, who was probing potential mishandling of school funds, as mentioned by Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough on Thursday.
Eiswert's voice, which authorities and AI specialists believe was replicated, made derogatory remarks towards Black students and the local Jewish community. The audio quickly spread across social media platforms.
Racially Motivated Comments
The voice imitating Principal Eiswert on the audio clip made racially motivated comments, including a claim that African-American students were incapable of "testing their way out of a paper bag," according to legal documents.
Controversy at Pikesville High School
An incident at Pikesville High School involving derogatory comments and a fake conversation has sparked outrage and backlash. The controversy surrounds a recording that circulated on social media, leading to the temporary removal of a staff member and an influx of hateful messages directed at the school.
The recording, which featured comments about Jewish individuals and criticized two teachers, was believed to be a manipulated conversation between a school staff member and an assistant principal. The staff member, Eiswert, claimed the audio was doctored using AI technology and pointed fingers at Darien, citing previous conflicts between them.
Further investigation revealed that Darien, the school's athletic director, had accessed the school's network to search for OpenAI tools, raising suspicions of his involvement in creating the fake recording. Darien had a history of work-related issues, including unauthorized termination of a coach, leading to his contract not being renewed.
Upon examination by a forensic analyst and university professor hired by the FBI, an audio analysis of the file revealed the presence of AI-generated content. The expert determined that the recording had been altered with human editing to include background noises for a more realistic effect. Additionally, another expert from the University of California, Berkley, also confirmed that the audio had been manipulated.
Response from school leadership
"This has undoubtedly been a challenging period for the Pikesville High School community, Principal Eiswert, his family, and the BCPS team. We commend the students and staff for their unwavering support for one another," stated Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers. "It is important to reiterate that the statements made in the recording do not align with the fundamental values of our educational system."
Dr. Rogers further mentioned that the county is taking decisive action in response to Darien's arrest, which may include recommending termination.
