A high school principal in Stone Mountain, Georgia, is under scrutiny tonight for making derogatory racist remarks during a high school graduation ceremony. The prinicipal, Nancy Gordeuk, who is white, made the comments after she accidentally misspoke and dismissed the class before the valedictorian spoke. As people began to leave, she realized her error and called them back. Some came back and sat down, and some continued to leave — maybe they didn’t hear her announcement, or maybe they just wanted to leave. What she said next, however, caused nearly everyone in the audience to get up and leave.
Students and parents, both white and black, were stunned at her comments, and many left the ceremony at that point in time. Stone Mountain is just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and the graduating seniors were of TNT Academy, a school that Nancy Gordeuk started and ran herself.
Attendees say Gordeuk lost control of the ceremony when she skipped over the valedictorian’s speech and dismissed the graduating class early. Gordeuk then became jittery and anxious. Many described the situation as “tense.”
The valedictorian’s mother, who was seated in the audience, stood up as the recession music started and waved Gordeuk down saying “You missed his speech! You missed his speech!”
At that point, the principal called everyone back in, but when some continued to leave anyway, the principal introduced the valedictorian, a white male, and proceeded to chastise the audience.
“I think ya’ll owe this young man apology…Especially that goober who was coming through with that little thing [an iPad] that was so rude. Where are you, you little coward? Ya’ll are among the rudest people I’ve seen in my whole life! Come back here let’s talk. Y’all among the rudest people I’ve seen in my entire life.
“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!”
On Saturday, Gordeuk issued an apology for her remarks, which she said were made “in the emotional state of trying to let this last student finish his speech” after she made an error and skipped it. She also apologized after tremendous public backlash on social media concerning her words. In addition to the racist remark, an attendee says that Gordeuk told families with babies near the beginning of the speech to “either keep their mouths shut or leave.”
In addition to the blatant racism, it’s noteworthy and concerning that this particular school has questionable academic standards on file for a state that has some of the poorest academic performance in the country.
[photo credit to addictinginfo ]
