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Charges have been brought against a high school athletics director in Baltimore, who stands accused of utilizing AI technology to fabricate a recording of the school’s white principal making racist remarks.
The individual in question, Dazhon Darien, aged 31, previously held the position of athletic director at Pikesville High School. However, an investigation was launched into alleged financial mismanagement during his tenure.
Reportedly, Darien purportedly created a false audio clip where the school’s principal, Eric Eiswert, is heard making derogatory racial and anti-Semitic comments directed at both staff and students in an act of revenge.
The recording, posted to an Instagram account, allegedly captures Pikesville High School principal Eric Eiswert making racially charged comments.
‘I seriously don’t understand why I have to constantly put up with these dumb a**** here every day,’ the speaker is heard saying.
Dazhon Darien, 31, is a Baltimore high school athletics director that has been charged with using AI to generate a recording of the school’s white principal going on a racist rant
In an act of retaliation, Darien allegedly generated a fake audio recording of the school’s principal, Eric Eiswert (pictured), ‘spewing racial and anti-Semitic insults about staff and students.’
‘Between these ungrateful black kids who can’t test their way out of a paper bag or these teachers who don’t get it. How hard is it to get these students to meet their grade level expectations?’
The speaker said, ‘And if I have to get one more complaint from one more Jew in this community, I’m going to join the other side.’
Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said his department worked with the FBI and forensic experts from the University of California at Berkeley to investigate the recording – which circulated online in January 2024.
‘Dazhon Darien, the school’s athletic director, produced the recording to retaliate against Principal Eiswert, who had initiated a probe into the mishandling of school funds,’ McCullough confirmed after the investigation.
Darien was arrested at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport on Thursday morning on an outstanding warrant, according to abc13.
The ex-athletics director now faces charges of stalking, disruption of school operations and retaliation against a witness. He is currently being held in custody on $5,000 bond.
Darien and Eiswert’s feud began in July 2023, when Darien became the director of athletics and fired a long-standing coach that worked for Pikesville High School without the principal’s permission.
Further conflict ensued when Darien authorized a payment of $1,916 to his roommate, who also worked at the junior varsity basketball coach at the school.
Darien claimed she was acting as an assistant soccer coach for the girls soccer team – despite the coach never assisting during the season.
Court documents claim that this payment bypassed proper procedures.
The ex-athletics director now faces charges of stalking, disruption of school operations and retaliation against a witness. He is currently being held in custody on $5,000 bond
The recording, posted to an Instagram account , allegedly captures Pikesville High School (pictured) principal Eric Eiswert making racially charged comments
Billy Burke, the executive director of the union that represents Baltimore County administrators, previously told the Baltimore Banner back in January when the audio was circulating that the voice is not Eiswert.
‘We believe that it is AI generated. He did not say that,’ said Burke. ‘If I were in that position my heart would be a little broken today.
‘He denounces them [the comments in the recording], and he did not make those statements.’
It is unclear where and when the recording is from, but at one point a person named Kathy is addressed. The community speculates it is the assistant principal Kathy Albert, reported WBFF.
Other staff members are talked about on the recording, including one the speaker says ‘should have never been hired.’
When talking about a different employee the speaker said, ‘I’m going to drag his black a** out of here one way or another.’
‘The BCPS Department of Schools was made aware of an alleged audio recording of Principal Eiswert that included derogatory remarks about some PHS students and staff,’ said Joseph.
‘We immediately notified the BCPS Office of Investigations and they are investigating this matter. While this is a personnel matter and I am limited in what I can share, I will provide an update as soon as more information is available.’
Darien and Eiswert’s feud began in July 2023, when Darien became the director of athletics and fired a long-standing coach that worked for Pikesville High School without the principal’s permission
Superintendent Myriam Rogers said, ‘These statements are deeply disturbing and do not reflect the core values of our school system.
‘Although BCPS cannot confirm the veracity of this recording at this time, we are taking this matter seriously and have launched an investigation.’
According to Eiswert’s biography on the school website, he has worked for Baltimore County Schools since 1997, and before starting at Pikesville was an assistant principal at New Town High School.
