TNT Academy — the Gwinnett County school now infamous for its former principal's "all the black people" graduation comments — is being accused by the NAACP of attempting to "intimidate" students and parents considering filing complaints against it.
The Georgia NAACP announced Tuesday that it would hold a 2 p.m. press conference in Atlanta to address "serious concerns about TNT Academy" in the wake of "recent emails and letters intimidating students and parents who are considering formal complaints to accrediting agencies." Those emails and letters, according to the NAACP, were sent "under the apparent direction of Nancy Gordeuk," the TNT principal who was relieved of her duties last week following inflammatory comments at the school's graduation.
The NAACP also plans to call for a formal review of TNT Academy by the Georgia Accrediting Commission, a news release said.
During widely distributed cellphone video of the school’s May 8 graduation ceremony, a visibly frustrated Gordeuk can be seen attempting to convince the gathered crowd to stick around for a valedictorian speech that was skipped during the program.
“You people are being so rude to not listen to this speech,” Gordeuk tells the audience. “It was my fault that we missed it in the program. Look who’s leaving — all the black people.”
In the days following the graduation — and in the wake of social media backlash — Gordeuk released a statement saying the "devil was in the house" that night.
Gordeuk's comments also shined a spotlight on non-traditional institutions like TNT, which offers a credit recovery program for middle and high school students.
The NAACP’s Tuesday news release said it has “serious concerns” about such schools and called for a formal review by the Georgia Accrediting Commission.
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