The district's superintendent could not 'confirm the veracity of the recording at this time'
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A Baltimore, Maryland school district has launched an investigation after a high school principal was allegedly recorded making racist comments to students and staff.
In a Wednesday email to parents, Baltimore County Schools superintendent Myriam Rogers said that while the statements were "deeply disturbing," the district could not "confirm the veracity of this recording at this time."
"I understand how upsetting this recording is for many members of the Team BCPS community," Rogers said, according to a report in WMAR2 News. "We will not tolerate disparaging remarks about any member of the Team BCPS community."
Things became more perplexing after The Council of Administrative & Supervising Employees (CASE), the union representing Pikesville High School Principal Eric Eiswert, claimed the recording was fraudulent and generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
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Baltimore County Public Schools said it launched an internal investigation after an audio recording claiming to capture the principal of Pikesville High School making offensive comments circulated online. ((Dylan Slagle/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images))
CASE said, "The audio is not the language, thoughts or character of Principal Eiswert" and urged for a "pause in any rush to judgment."
The 41-second audio recording, obtained by Project Baltimore and reported on by WMAR2, began with a voice that reportedly sounded like Eiswert's, using racially charged language to discuss Black students' academic performance at the school.
"I seriously don't understand why I have to constantly put up with these dumb***** here every day. Between these ungrateful Black kids who can't test their way out of a paper bag or these teachers who don't get it. How hard is it to get these students to meet their grade level expectations?" the voice on the recording asks.
The voice on the recording then directs his anger to two staff members, who he claims "should never have been hired." The speaker then names a third staff member, exclaiming, "I'm going to drag his Black a— out of here one way or another."
"And if I have to get one more complaint from one more Jew in this community, I'm going to join the other side," the speaker adds.
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Baltimore County State Senator Charles Sydnor said on Wednesday he immediately reached out to the Baltimore County Public Schools after listening to the recording, according to the Baltimore Sun.
"It is my understanding that the principal's union claims that this recording is Al-generated. While our system entitles individuals to due process, the nature of these comments warrant an extensive investigation," Sydnor said.
Baltimore County Executive Jonny Olszewski also weighed in on the recording and said he has offered his administration's full support to help with the investigation.
"Hate, discrimination and prejudice have no place in our community—especially in our schools," he said.
Eiswert has worked for Baltimore County Schools since 1997. He has spent three years at Pikesville and worked as an assistant principal at New Town High School. Previously, Eiswert worked for 20 years as a teacher and assistant principal at Catonsville High School.
Eiswert, CASE and Pikesville High School did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Baltimore County Public Schools said they have no comment beyond Wednesday's community statement from their executive director and superintendent.
Nikolas Lanum is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
