BALTIMORE — A former high school athletic director who used artificial intelligence to produce a racist and antisemitic deepfake audio targeting a Maryland principal has been sentenced to four months in jail as part of a plea deal for disrupting school operations.
Dazhon Darien, 32, accepted the deal on Monday in Baltimore County Circuit Court. He entered an Alford plea to a misdemeanor charge, acknowledging prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him without admitting guilt. His initial charges had included theft, stalking, and retaliation against a witness.
According to investigators, Darien created an AI-generated audio clip mimicking the voice of former Pikesville High School principal Eric Eiswert. The fake recording contained disparaging remarks about Black students and Jewish people. The clip circulated on social media and throughout the school community in January of last year.
Court documents reveal that Eiswert had previously informed Darien that his contract would not be renewed due to concerns about his job performance. Among the issues cited was Darien’s alleged misuse of school funds, including a $1,900 payment to his roommate under the guise of coaching duties.
Experts confirmed the audio was generated using AI software.
Despite receiving a short jail term for the misdemeanor, Darien remains in custody due to a separate federal case involving charges of child sexual exploitation and possession of child sexual abuse material. Authorities reportedly found evidence of those crimes while examining his digital devices during the deepfake investigation.
Officials have called this one of the first known cases where AI was used to personally attack and defame someone. With generative AI technology becoming more accessible and capable of creating realistic images, audio, and videos, such misuse has raised growing concerns.
The incident caused a wave of backlash in the Pikesville community, sparking hate-filled messages and threats directed at Eiswert, whose home had to be monitored by police. Eiswert, now a principal at another Baltimore County school, said he knew immediately the clip was fake and has since filed a lawsuit against the district, claiming Darien never should have been hired.
According to the lawsuit, Darien joined the district in early 2023 and was later promoted to athletic director. It also highlights a report from The Baltimore Banner, which uncovered false claims in Darien’s job application, including unearned degrees and a flagged background in Florida related to document fraud. Eiswert alleges that the school system failed to conduct a proper background check.
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