Ex-Pikesville High assistant principal sues Baltimore County schools over AI deepfake -…

Kathryn Albert, a former assistant principal at Pikesville High School, has filed a lawsuit against Baltimore County Public Schools and former athletic director Dazhon Darien following the creation of a malicious AI-generated audio recording. The incident resulted in significant professional and personal distress for Albert, who alleges the school system was negligent in its hiring practices regarding the perpetrator.

What happened

In January 2024, Dazhon Darien used artificial intelligence to impersonate Pikesville High School Principal Eric Eiswert. The resulting deepfake audio featured the principal allegedly making racist and antisemitic remarks, while also mentioning Albert by name. The recording was shared on social media, including an Instagram page with over 365,000 followers, leading the public to associate Albert with the hateful rhetoric.

Despite the principals union identifying the clip as a deepfake, the content spread rapidly, resulting in online threats, calls for Albert’s resignation, and accusations of racism from parents and students. The lawsuit claims that the school system failed to adequately correct the public record. In the aftermath, Albert reported significant emotional distress, noting that she limited her son’s social media exposure, installed home security measures, and sought therapy.

Albert’s lawsuit alleges that the school system was grossly negligent in hiring and retaining Darien, who had made dozens of false claims on his job applications. While Darien eventually entered an Alford plea for disturbing school operations and served four months in jail, he is currently facing separate federal charges related to the sexual exploitation of children. Albert, who transferred to a different school to avoid public scrutiny, is seeking damages, attorney fees, and a public apology for the harm caused by the deepfake.