WATCH ABOVE: Principal’s racial comment during grad ceremony goes viral.
The principal of a private school in Georgia has been fired after making racist remarks while at a graduation ceremony and blaming them on “the devil.”
Video of TNT Academy Principal Nancy Gordeuk’s comments during last week’s ceremony circulated widely on Facebook and YouTube, being shared more than 45,000 times.
According to NBC, Gordeuk made the comments after she forgot part of the program and dismissed everyone early. She tried to call them back and got aggravated when they continued to leave.
“You people are being so rude not to listen to this speech, it is my fault that we missed it in the program,” she said at the ceremony.
After a brief pause, she continued: “look who’s leaving, all the black people.”
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Gordeuk’s remarks caused an immediate uproar in the hall as more students and parents began loudly criticizing the principal and walking out of the ceremony.
Gordeuklater apologized to parents in an email blaming the outburst on “the devil.”
“The devil was in the house and came out from my mouth. I deeply apologize for my racist comment and hope that forgiveness is in your hearts,” according to a statement obtained by WXIA TV.
WATCH: Academy’s principal apologizes for racial remark during graduation ceremony
Though she did try to defend herself in an interview with NBC, saying she “didn’t know black people was a racist term,” she argued she was only making an observation.
“I didn’t say the n-word or anything like that, because that’s not in my vocabulary,” she told NBC. “I made a statement, it wasn’t a racist remark.”
The school’s board of directors, which Gordeuk helped found issued a letter to the local chapter of the NAACP revealing it was taking steps to “dismiss Nancy Gordeuk as principal” in the wake of the remark and her subsequent apology, according to a letter obtained by NBC.
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