A Maryland high school athletic director is now under investigation for allegedly using AI to create a fake recording of his school’s principal making a slew of racist comments - audio that lead to the principal’s firing.
Now, it turns out the whole thing was a fake.
Dazhon Darien, a black man and the athletic director at Pikesville High School in Baltimore, reportedly used artificial intelligence to create a recording purportedly of Pikesville High Principal Eric Eisworth, who is white, speaking to an assistant principal and saying “ungrateful” Black students were “dumbasses” who couldn’t "test their way out of a paper bag.”
Eisworth then supposedly said that if he gets “one more complaint from one more Jew in this community, I’m gonna join the other side.”
Here's the fake "recording":
Baltimore County Public Schools is investigating the principal at Pikesville High for alleged derogatory remarks about students and staff
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 17, 2024
A voice believed to be the principal can be heard ranting about Black students and Jewish families https://t.co/Nuxkgxwrte pic.twitter.com/Iv2yJvps6v
That audio was then sent to three teachers - including Darien - from an anonymous, unknown email account. One teacher told investigators she forwarded it to a student "who she knew would rapidly spread the message around various social media outlets.” The teacher also sent the file to the media and several groups including the NAACP.
As she'd apparently intended, the audio clip went viral back in January, prompting the school to remove Eisworth from his position as principal pending an investigation. Eisworth maintained the conversation had never happened, but that didn’t stop a wave of threats and hate messages on social media and a barrage of angry phone calls to the school.
Related: Columbia Protest Leader Says 'Zionists Don't Deserve to Live' In Live-streamed School Meeting
During the three-month probe, Eisworth told investigators he believed Darien was involved because he was “good with technology,” and because Eisworth had recently launched an investigation into Darien back in December over concerns that he had been misusing school funds. Investigators were ultimately able to trace the anonymous email account to Darien and determine he'd used multiple AI tools to create the recording.
"Detectives alleged Mr. Darien…made the recording to retaliate against the principal who had launched an investigation into the potential mishandling of school funds," Baltimore Chief of Police Robert McCollough told reporters at a news conference Thursday.
Darien was arrested Thurgood Marshall Airport Thursday morning while trying to make his way to Houston, and has been charged with disrupting a school operation and stalking. He was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond Thursday afternoon.
So if you see him, tell him Jussie Smollett says hi.
Follow MRCTV on X!
WTH?! New Mexico high school hires drag queen stripper to perform at their prom.
— MRCTV (@mrctv) April 26, 2024
https://t.co/LXTYX2SHiY