In a demented revenge plot, Dazhon Darien, a 31-year-old high school athletic director in a Baltimore suburb, allegedly utilized artificial intelligence to impersonate his principal and spew racist and antisemitic hate speech. The shocking audio, which emerged on social media, fueled concerns within the Baltimore County community. County Executive Johnny Olszewski denounced the hateful words, emphasizing that they contradicted the values they stand for. Darien was apprehended at the airport while attempting to flee to Houston, thus triggering his arrest. The disturbing saga commenced when an audio clip surfaced in January, featuring a simulated conversation between Pikesville High School Principal Eric Eiswert and an assistant principal, wherein Eiswert was heard disparaging students of color and making derogatory remarks about Jewish teachers. Eiswert was temporarily removed from his position as the investigation unfolded. Maintaining his innocence, he claimed that the audio clip was manipulated using AI and pointed the finger at Darien, highlighting his technological know-how. Further scrutiny revealed potential motivations for Darien's actions, as discussions about non-renewal of his contract had taken place due to various work-related issues since assuming the role of athletic director in July 2023.

These issues included unauthorized termination of a long-standing coach and employing his roommate as an assistant coach without any team affiliation. According to Chief of Police Robert McCollough, detectives concluded that Darien, seeking retaliation against Eiswert's investigation into possible mishandling of school funds, fabricated the recording. The FBI and an expert from the University of California, Berkley established the connection between Darien and the doctored audio through an email account under the alias TJ Foust, which he allegedly used to distribute the fake recording to his work email and other teachers. During interrogations, Darien purportedly admitted to his grievances with Eiswert during his brief tenure at the school. His arrest occurred when authorities at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport uncovered an improperly stored firearm in his luggage and upon conducting a background check, discovered the arrest warrant filed by Baltimore County officials the previous night. Although it remains unclear whether Darien intended to flee to Texas or had unrelated travel plans, he currently faces several charges, including theft, stalking, disruption of school operations, and retaliation against a witness. He was released on a $5, 000 unsecured bond. Baltimore County Schools have recommended terminating his employment, while Principal Eiswert is expected to resume his duties now that his name has been cleared.