Dazhon Darien framed principal with deep fake video

Dazhon Darien, 31, created a deep fake video framing the principal as racist. Principal Eric Eiswert, Pikesville High School’s principal, launched an investigation into Darien’s alleged misuse of school funds. Darien was the athletic director for the school; he created and released the deep fake audio to retaliate against Eiswert’s action. The principal even suspected Darien as being behind the deep fake.

From the New York Post:

In the clip, the mimicked voice of Eiswert said African American students were unable to “test their way out of a paper bag” and that there were two Jewish teachers who “should never have been hired at the school,” according to charging documents obtained by 2 WMAR.

As punishment, Eiswert was temporarily removed from the school — but he declared his innocence and told police he believed the audio clip was falsified using AI.

He even pointed to Darien as the culprit, telling officials he was “technologically savvy.”

Even more damning, there were conversations about not renewing Darien’s contract for the following semester following multiple work-related issues since beginning his role as athletic director in July 2023, including firing a long-standing coach at the school without approval and paying his roommate as an assistant coach despite not working for any teams.

“Through their investigation, detectives alleged Mr. Darien who was the athletic director at the high school made the recording to retaliate against the principal who had launched an investigation into the potential mishandling of school funds,” Chief of Police Robert McCollough said.

The FBI and an expert from the University of California, Berkley ultimately tied Darien to the simulated audio to an email account under the alias TJ Foust, which he allegedly used to send the phony recording to his own work email and other teachers at the school.

The New York Post has the balance of this article.

Category: "Teh Stoopid"