A trial date has been set for former Pikesville athletic director accused of AI conspiracy against the director

Baltimore (WBFF) – The fate of a former Baltimore County Public Schools employee accused of using artificial intelligence to frame his school’s principal will soon be decided.

The trial of former Pikesville High School athletic director Dazhon Darien has been set for late January. However, there are still many unanswered questions about how Darien got a job in the school system.

Do you remember this alleged recording?

“I really don’t understand why I have to put up with these stupid assholes here every day,” the announcer says in the recording. “Among those ungrateful black kids who can’t get out of a paper bag.”

When it first hit the Internet in January, it was shocking – racist and anti-Semitic comments allegedly made by then-Pikesville High School principal Eric Eiswert.

“And if I have to get one more complaint from one more Jew in this community, I will join the other side,” a voice says in the recording.

Immediately, the CASE director’s union defended Eiswert, suggesting that the recording was fake – generated by artificial intelligence. However, Baltimore County Public Schools removed Eiswert from Pikesville and placed him on administrative leave.

It turns out that CASE was right. In April, police arrested former Pikesville High School athletic director Dazhon Darien. Court documents show that Darien allegedly used artificial intelligence to create the fake recording. Darien faces charges including theft and stalking. He was released on bail pending trial, which is scheduled to start Jan. 28, 2025, according to state court records. Meanwhile, Eiswert has been transferred. He is currently the principal of Sparrows Point Junior High School.

But as Darien awaits his day in court, Project Baltimore reports raise questions that taxpayers and parents still have to answer as to why Darien was hired by BCPS. Here’s one unanswered question: What measures did BCPS take during the hiring process to confirm the authenticity of Darien’s credentials?

After the arrest, Project Baltimore obtained a copy of the resume that landed Darien a six-figure job in Pikesville. Much of this was not true. Darien claimed to have earned a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. But Fox45 News contacted universities about his resume and none of them had any information about Darien’s graduation. Which leads to another unanswered question.

If Darien did not have a college degree, he would not have been eligible for the Maryland teaching certificate required to be an athletic director. So how could Darien be employed by BCPS if he did not have a valid teaching certificate?

For months, Project Baltimore has been trying to get answers to these questions. BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers said that before hiring Darien, the school system followed a standard procedure that includes reference and reference checks, as well as criminal background checks and fingerprinting.

All of this leads to one final unanswered question: Did BCPS make any significant changes to its recruiting process after Darien’s arrest?

Last week, Project Baltimore emailed BCPS with these questions and received a response stating that the district had “no further comment at this time.”

Some of the answers to these questions may be revealed in court during Darien’s trial. His time at BCPS before allegedly using artificial intelligence to try to frame his principal will likely be discussed.