Eric Eiswert, the former principal at Pikesville High School in Baltimore, Maryland, has filed a lawsuit against Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) and other school officials after an AI-generated audio went viral last year depicting the former principal using profane hate speech against students and teachers.
The clip would later be determined by police to be AI-generated and used Eiswert’s voice to create a false narrative. In the now-viral audio, Eiswert can be heard making anti-Semitic and racist remarks.
During the investigation of what was initially thought to be hate speech, the FBI contracted the services of a forensic analyst and university professor who was able to determine that the alleged recording of Eiswert included traces of AI-generated content.
His analysis identified human editing in which background noises were made in the audio after the original AI generation of Eiswert’s voice to make it sound authentic.
Despite knowing that the recording was fake, the complaint alleges, district officials suspended Eiswert before he was reassigned to a different position.
Eiswert’s lawsuit names BCPS, the school district's superintendent, its human resources personnel, two teachers, and the school’s former athletic director, Dazhon Darien.
The police investigation would later reveal that the AI-generated recording was allegedly created by Darien. Darien allegedly created the recording to frame Eiswert because the former principal had launched an investigation into the possible mishandling of school funds. Dairen allegedly created the recording as a form of retaliation.
Eiswert’s lawsuit accuses the BCPS Human Resource Specialist who hired Darien of being negligent in their vetting and hiring of the former athletic director.
An investigation by the news outlet, The Baltimore Banner, would uncover that Darien had used fake credentials and resumes to deceive Baltimore County School officials and obtain employment with the school district.
Eiswert’s lawsuit also accuses school officials of not correcting the record or defending Eiswert when they found the recording to be AI-generated. As a result, Eiswert says that he suffered reputational harm and that this resulted in him experiencing severe emotional distress. He also says that he and his family were subjected to threats because of the AI-generated audio.
The lawsuit also details that Darien conspired with other BCPS employees to make the clip go viral in an effort to defame Eiswert.
The school’s assistant principal, Kathy Albert, is also named in the lawsuit. The complaint alleges that she spoke 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."
Eiswert would go on to take a new role as the principal of Sparrows Point Middle School in June 2024. Despite this, he says in his lawsuit that he is still suffering from the AI-generated hoax. "Eiswert and his family continued to endure public humiliation and violent threats," explains the lawsuit.
Eiswert’s attorney shared with a local outlet, "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."
Eiswert is seeking at least $75,000 in damages, according to the complaint.
