A former principal from Pikesville High School in Maryland, Eric Eiswert, has filed a lawsuit against the school district and its former athletic director, Dazhon Darien, after a fake audio recording allegedly depicting him making racist and antisemitic remarks went viral. The incident, which occurred in January 2024, severely damaged Eiswert’s reputation and led to his removal from his position despite the audio being proven to be a fabrication created using artificial intelligence (AI).
The audio clip, which was widely shared on social media, falsely portrayed Eiswert making offensive statements about Black students and Jewish individuals. The recording was quickly condemned by politicians, civil rights activists, and others, leading to calls for Eiswert’s removal. The situation escalated to the point where Eiswert and his family faced harassment, threats, and public ridicule. Despite Eiswert passing a polygraph test that could have cleared his name, he was still removed from his position, and his professional and personal life was severely harmed.
According to Eiswert’s complaint, Darien, who was the school’s athletic director at the time, created the false audio recording as an act of retaliation. Darien had been under investigation by Eiswert for misusing school funds, including spending large sums of money on unauthorized uniforms. Eiswert had also declined to renew Darien’s contract for the following year due to his alleged misconduct. In response, Darien reportedly used his access to school resources to secretly record Eiswert’s voice and manipulate the audio using AI technology to create the fabricated racist rant.
Eiswert’s lawsuit claims that Darien’s actions led to significant personal and professional consequences, as the school district failed to act on the truth or clear his name. The lawsuit also accuses the district of negligent hiring and supervision, alleging that the school failed to properly vet Darien, who had misrepresented his educational background and credentials. Eiswert argues that the district’s failure to address Darien’s misdeeds or investigate the authenticity of the recording contributed to the damage to his reputation.
The complaint further details how Eiswert was cut off from school communications and ostracized by his colleagues while the district superintendent refused to publicly acknowledge that the audio was fake. This, Eiswert argues, compounded the harm to his reputation, as the district’s failure to correct the record allowed the false narrative to persist. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages in excess of $75,000, along with a call for systemic changes in how the district hires and supervises its employees.
The criminal case against Darien is set to go before a jury, with charges including theft, retaliation against a witness, and stalking. Darien has been released on bond, but the legal proceedings are expected to continue. Eiswert’s attorney has emphasized that the lawsuit is not only about seeking justice for Eiswert but also about addressing the systemic issues within the school district that allowed the incident to happen. Eiswert has spent his career as a dedicated educator, and his legal team hopes that the lawsuit will bring about meaningful changes in how the district handles employee oversight and protects the integrity of its staff.
