Devil made her do it, school leader says of racist remark

The founder of a small, non-traditional school in Stone Mountain apologized and asked forgiveness for making racist remarks at a graduation ceremony Friday saying, “the devil was in the house and came out from my mouth.”

TNT’s future depends on how forgiving parents are willing to be.

The shocking video of Nancy Gordeuk, chief administrator of TNT Academy, trying to get the crowd to pay attention after she accidentally dismissed them before the valedictorian’s speech went viral over the weekend. At one point, an agitated Gordeuk says, “Look who’s leaving. All the black people.”

The video, shared by news outlets across the world viewed almost half a million times on You Tube, shows a defiant Gordeuk lecturing the crowd before graduates in caps and gowns finally leave the stage in protest. After the social media shaming, Gordeuk issued a letter to parents and students, acknowledging the comment was racist, but saying she didn’t think she had discriminated against any families in the school.

“I just pray you will realize I am a human and make mistakes just like everyone else does and be willing to forgive and move forward instead of concentrating on the bad of the situation,” she wrote.

The tuition-based nontraditional school depends on parents who are willing to pay to send their children there.

TNT blends concepts of homeschool learning with a more formal classroom education, according to Phillip K. Murphy, executive director of the Georgia Accrediting Commission, where TNT has its accreditation. Middle and high school students show up at the school, located in a small office park, Monday morning to meet a teacher and get assignments, but complete their studies at home. School staff is available for support service, such as testing, tutoring and mentoring.

The school was first accredited in 2005, he said, and can award a recognized high school diploma that makes students eligible for the HOPE grant and entrance to public colleges and universities. But Murphy said even with accreditation, the quality of non-traditional schools may vary. Two years ago, an investigation by Channel 2 Action News raised questions about the rigor of the school’s academic standards.

Murphy said, “My experience is they’re just like the over 1,000 we accredit — we have some that are super and some that we really have concerns about, if they’re meeting the standard.”

In recent years, the school began offering students the choice of a more traditional path with scheduled classes in front of teachers, according to the school’s website.

Murphy said the accrediting agency doesn’t get involved with the day-to-day business of the school and would only review the school’s accreditation if a parent or stakeholder filled a complaint. The school is up for accreditation renewal next year and will be reviewed as part of that process, he said.

Gordeuk did not return calls for comment. In the video, she called a man who had been conspicuously taking pictures or video of the ceremony a “goober” and a “coward.” Those comments appear to cause an unrelated family to walk out with their graduate. Gordeuk then addresses her mistake about the valedictorian to the crowd.

“You people are being so rude to not listen to this speech,” Gordeuk tells the audience, according to video recordings of the ceremony posted to social media. “It was my fault that we missed it in the program. Look who’s leaving — all the black people.”

At that, the audience erupts as Gordeuk stands at the podium with her hand on her hip. Several black honors graduates appear to walk off the stage in protest.

Before Friday, Linda Haywood would have told anybody with a child falling behind at school that the TNT Academy was a great alternative to public school education.

No more.

“I’m still in shock and I’m still hurt. I believe it’s a great institution for a student to learn, but based on what happened Friday, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone,” she said.

Haywood, 40, of Snellville, said had perceived Gordeuk as friendly and the school as a good one before the ceremony. The curriculum worked for her son, 19-year-old Johnny Byrd, who was having issues at his school with keeping up on all the lessons. She took him out of public school last October. At TNT Academy, he would report to school twice weekly to receive a packet of homework and instructions, then to turn them in. He spent more time on campus if additional instruction was needed.

Tuition was cheaper than some other alternative programs — Haywood said she paid $200 monthly — and her son would finish with a diploma instead of a GED. About 100 students graduated Friday, Haywood said.

“They focused on where he was,” Haywood said. “Nancy (Gordeuk) has a witty side to her. And she has been very pleasant to us.”

In the last few weeks, Haywood said her son brought in a report card with a 3.8 grade point average. In his senior remarks, he wrote about how great Gordeuk has been since he started attending TNT Academy in the fall.

Early Friday evening, Haywood said she saw a different side to the witty administrator immediately, beginning with a comment about taping a crying child’s mouth shut. Then, Gordeuk had a man removed from the ceremony who was recording with an iPad. Haywood said she and others in her group were headed to the door when Gordeuk made a comment about “the black people” leaving.

“I was hurt,” she said. “My son has a very close relationship with her.”

- Staff writer David Markiewicz contributed to this article.