The principal of a private, nontraditional high school in Stone Mountain, Ga., who went viral after footage showed her shouting, "Look at who's leaving, all the black people," during a graduation ceremony, has been fired, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
According to the newspaper, the TNT Academy board of directors voted to fire Nancy Gordeuk, who also called one audience member a "goober" and a "coward."
"In light of recent events, the board of directors of TNT Academy has moved to dismiss Nancy Gordeuk as principal," Heidi Anderson, chair of the board of directors for the school, told the Journal-Constitution. "During the coming transition, we will continue to prioritize support for our most recent graduates. Moreover, we will continue our commitment to providing students with the best educational classes, transcription services and academic credit recovery possible."
Gordeuk drew national attention after video of her during the school's graduation Friday went viral. During the ceremony, Gordeuk skipped over the valedictorian's speech in the program. Members in attendance, believing that the ceremony was over, began leaving. When Gordeuk realized her mistake, she took to the podium and said, "You people are being so rude to not listen to this speech. It was my fault that we missed it in the program. Look who's leaving—all the black people."
A gasp could be heard from the audience.
Days later, Gordeuk issued an email explaining her side of the events that led up to her racially insensitive comments, according to the Journal-Constitution:
An unknown man at the beginning of a speech decided to walk up to the front of the audience with his tablet, videotaping the audience and the students causing disruption to the audience and disrespect to the ceremony and its participants. When disregarding the request to please sit down, the security was asked to remove the man. At that point, booing of the request commenced.
Frustrated with the prospect of ruining the once-in-a-lifetime ceremony the graduates have worked so hard for, my emotions got the best of me and that is when I blurted out "you people are being so rude to not listen to this speech (valedictorian)." It was my fault that we missed the speech in the program. I look to the left where the man was and all I saw was a mass of people leaving and I said, "Look who's leaving, all the black people." At that point, members of the audience began to leave.
Gordeuk also apologized in her email and noted that Satan was in attendance at the ceremony, and it was the devil who made her utter those words.
Read more at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.