Georgia principal fired after racist remarks at graduation event

A Georgia principal was fired Thursday after making an offensive remark about black people during a graduation ceremony last week.

The board of TNT Academy in Lilburn confirmed that Nancy Gordeuk had been dismissed as principal of the school after her bizarre speech was caught on camera and widely shared on social media.

"In light of recent events, the board of directors of TNT Academy has moved to dismiss Nancy Gordeuk as principal,” chair Heidi Anderson wrote in an e-mail to the Georgia NAACP, which was obtained by the Atlanta 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 became upset when students began to walk out of the school building during the ceremony before the valedictorian got to give a speech. She began to yell at students and even called one man a coward.

“Look who's leaving, all the black people," Gordeuk said at one point. She later apologized in a statement for her "emotional, uncalled-for generalization of the black persons in attendance." In an apology letter to parents at the school, Gordeuk said "The devil was in the house and came out from my mouth."

"Beyond the inappropriate remarks,” Georgia NAACP President Francys Johnson said in a statement from the organization Thursday, “the former principal attempted to legitimize the bizarre episode by claiming ‘the devil made her do it.’ The Flip Wilson defense may have worked for a comedian, but not a chief educational official charged with the overall day-to-day management of academic and school operations."