Former Pikesville High School principal sues Baltimore County Schools in racist AI case
BALTIMORE -- Eric Eiswert, former principal at Pikesville High School, is suing Baltimore County Public Schools over a case involving a racist AI recording.
Eiswert was principal at Pikesville High School until an investigation into a disturbing audio recording containing racist and antisemitic comments. He was suspended and ultimately reassigned.
Police determined the recording was generated by AI, and allege that Pikesville High School's former athletic director Dazhon Darien framed Eiswert in retaliation after he launched an investigation into the potential mishandling of school funds.
According to the lawsuit, BCPS removed Eiswert from his position as principal despite knowing that the recording was fabricated.
Eiswert alleges that the school district did not defend him or correct the record when it was proven that he did not make the remarks. He seeks at least $75,000 in damages.
This lawsuit names BCPS, the school district's superintendent, its human resources personnel, two teachers and Darien.
AI experts believe Eiswert's voice was simulated on the recording, making comments about Black students and the Jewish community. The audio went viral on social media.
A forensic analyst and university professor contracted by the FBI conducted an analysis of the recording and determined that it contained traces of AI-generated content, with human editing used to add background noises after the initial generation.
The lawsuit accuses Darien of conspiring with other BCPS employees to defame Eiswert.
"Darien, by conspiring with other BCPS employees, then caused the audio clip to be disseminated to students and others, causing it to spread rapidly on social media. Within hours and days, the fraudulent audio clip received millions of views and interactions — falsely labeling Mr. Eiswert as a racist and antisemite to a national and international audience," the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also claims two teachers and BCPS human resources specialists assisted Darien in making the video go viral. Eiswert also accuses BCPS of being negligent in their vetting, hiring and supervision of Darien.
Assistant principal Kathy Albert is also named in the lawsuit for allegedly speaking with detectives, and "denied that she was present for any of the alleged comments in the fake recording, yet the school system continued to punish Eiswert and refused to correct the record."
In June 2024, Eiswert took on a new role as principal of Sparrows Point Middle School. However, according to the lawsuit, Eiswert is still suffering the consequences of the AI hoax.
The lawsuit says "Eiswert and his family continued to endure public humiliation and violent threats."
"BCPS's failure to follow its own hiring and oversight processes caused significant damage to Mr. Eiswert, and its lack of response to the defamatory audio, encouraged the continuing harm," Eiswert's attorney said in a statement to WJZ. "Mr. Eiswert has spent his career as a dedicated educator and is hopeful that this lawsuit will drive meaningful change in protecting students, teachers, and administrators."
Darien was arrested in April after being caught trying to board a flight to Houston. He had a firearm on him at the time of his arrest, police said.
An investigation by The Baltimore Banner later found that Darien had deceived Baltimore County School officials, using false resumes and credentials to obtain a job working for the district.
Jury selection for Darien's trial is scheduled for January 28.
