Purported recording of principal contained AI content

Police: Purported recording of Pikesville HS principal was not authentic, contained AI content

School’s former athletic director arrested at BWI-Marshall Airport on open warrant

Updated: 5:11 PM EDT Apr 25, 2024

The former athletic director at Pikesville High School has been arrested in connection to an AI-generated impersonation of the school’s principal.Dazhon Darien, 31, faces multiple charges, including stalking, theft, disruption of school operations, and retaliation against a witness, according to charging documents obtained by 11 News.The investigationPolice said the charges are connected to an investigation that started on Jan. 17 into a voice recording circulated on social media that was alleged to have been the voice of the school’s principal, Eric Eiswert.Police said the audio clip, which was an alleged race-based commentary on the school’s students and teachers, was spread on social media. That led to the temporary removal of Eiswert from the school, as well as many hate-filled messages on social media and numerous calls to the school.Police: Recording was not authenticPolice said Thursday afternoon that detectives have conclusive evidence based on a forensic analysis by the FBI that the recording was not authentic. Police said the analysis indicated the recording contained traces of AI-generated content. Detectives then sought an additional analysis by the University of California, Berkley, which arrived at the same findings as the FBI’s analysis.Police said investigators believe Darien made the recording to retaliate against Eiswert, who, at the time, was pursuing an investigation into the potential mishandling of school funds. From the day the audio clip went out, Eiswert told detectives he had an idea of who was behind it. The charging documents state that Eiswert believed Darien was responsible for the clip because he believed Darien was tech-savvy and familiar with AI, and a grievance was fueled by Darien’s contract not being renewed due to work-performance issues that included terminating a coach without approval and allegedly paying teachers under the table for helping him with his job, which is the subject of an internal audit.”While I am unable to get into specific personnel details, we are exploring administrative changes given the immense impact of this incident on the Pikesville High School community and the local, national and international coverage,” Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Myriam Rogers said.Video below: Full news conferencePolice said Darien had used the school network to search for AI tools. While Darien originally denied involvement, police have since connected an email address that sent out the audio clip to Darien’s grandmother’s home in Los Angeles that has a recovery phone number being Darien’s own cellphone.Others were involvedPolice said the audio clip was originally sent to a friend group of three teachers. One of the educators admitted to police she sent the clip to news outlets and a student who she knew would spread the clip.An investigation into the other teachers involved continues.Baltimore County leaders addressed the scandal in the school district in a news conference Thursday afternoon.”From the very beginning, we have expressed our concern about the disturbing audio that shook our communities here in Baltimore County,” Rogers said. “As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult time for Pikesville High School community, Principal Eiswert and his family and team BCPS.”Defendant arrested at airportDarien was apprehended Thursday at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, while he was en route to Houston.”Officers with the Maryland Transportation Authority took Mr. Darien into custody this morning at BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport as he was attempting to board a flight,” Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said.The police chief could not say whether Darien was attempting to flee.”He could have been simply going there for other purposes,” McCullough said.The chief did say Darien had a firearm, which alerted Maryland Transportation Authority police because of the way the firearm was packaged for transport. MDTA police then detained Darien after discovering the warrant out for his arrest in the Pikesville case. Prosecutor: This appears to be a first-of-its-kind caseBaltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger said the case appears to one of the first of its kind nationwide that his office was able to find. He said the Maryland General Assembly may need to update state laws to catch up with the nefarious possibilities of the new technology. For example, the charge of disrupting school activities “only carries a six-month sentence,” Shellenberger said. “But we also need to take a broader look at how this technology can be used and abused to harm other people.”Following a court appearance Thursday afternoon, Darien was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond. A check of online court records for Darien did not list an attorney who might be able to speak on his behalf Thursday.BCPS statementBaltimore County Public Schools sent an email to its community, which follows below.I am writing to provide an important update on the Pikesville High School investigation. This morning, Baltimore County police officers arrested Dazhon Darien, the Pikesville High School athletic director, on multiple charges stemming from an investigation the Baltimore County Police Department launched in reference to the Jan. 17, 2024, release of an audio recording allegedly of Principal Eric Eiswert. This afternoon, I joined the county executive, chief of police, and the state’s attorney for a joint press conference so that the police could provide an update on the investigation and I could address next steps for the Pikesville High School community and Team BCPS. When we were made aware of the recording, we immediately launched an investigation and solicited the help of the county executive, Baltimore County police, and additional external experts. Baltimore County police enlisted the services of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We collaborated with these partners because they have the resources and skill to determine the authenticity of the recording, and they have verified that Mr. Darien used artificial intelligence to create the audio recording. In light of today’s announcement by the police department — and as required by state education law – we are taking appropriate action regarding Mr. Darien’s conduct, up to and including a recommendation for termination. We have also been made aware that other BCPS employees are named in the charging documents. The BCPS Office of Human Resources will follow all system procedures for investigating their involvement and we will take swift action in alignment with their rights under the established collective bargaining agreement, board policy and state law.We want to thank County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Chief of Police Robert McCullough, State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger and our law enforcement partners for their work over the last several months. While law enforcement investigated, our focus as a system remained on providing direct support to Pikesville High School students and staff and creating safe spaces for them to process this incident, while maintaining our unwavering commitment to teaching and learning. This has been a difficult time for the Pikesville High School community, Principal Eiswert and his family and Team BCPS. We are proud of the students and staff and how they have stepped up to support one another. As I stated previously, the statements that were made in the recording do not reflect the core values of our system. We are proud of the diversity of Baltimore County Public Schools and strive to ensure that each member of Team BCPS feels valued and has a sense of belonging.We can now shift our focus to moving forward and providing all parties with a fresh start. While we are unable to provide specific personnel-related details, it is important to note that we are exploring administrative changes given the immense impact of this incident on the Pikesville High School community and the ongoing local, national and international coverage. To ensure continuity for our students, Mrs. Kyria Joseph, executive director of high schools, and Dr. George Roberts, consulting administrator, will continue to serve the Pikesville High School community as lead administrators for the remainder of the school year. We will work with Principal Eiswert and the Pikesville community concerning next school year.BCPS student support services team members will be available Friday, April 25, 2024, and on Monday, April 28, 2024, to engage Pikesville High School students in conversations as they process this information. We also encourage parents and families to engage in an open dialogue with their children.Resources to support parents and families include:Assisting parents caregivers in coping with collective traumas (PDF)Resources that are available to BCPS staff and the community:BCPS Employee Assistance ProgramTalkspace: Free online therapy for high school students in BaltimoreBaltimore County Crisis Response: Call 410-931-2214National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 988Crisis text line: Text the word “HOME” to 741741 for free 24-hour support211 Maryland: Call 211We also want to encourage Pikesville High School students to speak with school support staff (i.e., counselors, social worker, psychologist) and trusted adults. Parents and caretakers are welcome to reach out to staff if they need support for their student. Thank you for your patience and support as we worked through the investigative process with law enforcement. We hope that today’s update can provide some sense of closure to the community, and we look forward to our continued partnership to ensure the Pikesville High School community and Team BCPS end this school year strong.The Associated Press contributed to this report.