Atlantan Gerod Roth joined the ever-growing ranks of Internet infamy this week, losing his job after a racist Facebook thread attached to his Sept. 16 photo post went viral. The initial post was a photo of him with the 3-year-old son of an African-American colleague, and it sparked an ugly conversation that likened the child to a malnourished slave.

Having “gone dark” for a few days and scrubbing his social media accounts, Roth on Wednesday described himself as “a very nice guy” who has been maligned by the press and by social media.

He said his apparent involvement in the Facebook thread, which ultimately cost him a job, was the result of manipulated screenshots.

"It didn't occur to me that that kind of character would come out in the people I associate with," Roth told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "They joke a lot and push the boundaries with their jokes, but I didn't expect that."

Click here to see the complete story, including reaction from the boy's mother

Keep Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez