[Vision2020] School director makes racial comments during graduation

Tue May 12 13:06:46 PDT 2015

It’s a private school, so “we” aren’t in any position to remove her from power – get your undies untwisted.  Do you actually know anything about this situation, or did you just decide to take an opportunity to jump in to defend “free speech” when that’s not even the issue?

I find it disappointing that you care so much about the attention her deplorable behavior has rightly received while seemingly not giving a rip about the very real affect her deplorable behavior had on the kids who worked so hard to make it to graduation – she ruined what is most likely the most positively important day to date in those kids’ lives and certainly a day of major accomplishment for the students and their families.  Kind of like what you’re doing in this thread, she took a day that was to be about their accomplishments and made it about her.  After all, it was her multiple mistakes that caused the problem, and her response was to lash out at “black people” (BTW, it wasn’t only people of color who were leaving) who had the nerve to leave after she’d dismissed the graduation.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize her behavior for what it was.

It seems to me it’s up to those who were harmed by her behavior to determine whether or not her apology is acceptable; who it’s not up to is you.  Hate to burst your bubble about your importance in the scheme of things.

Saundra

Moscow, ID

Every individual matters.  Every individual has a role to play.  Every individual makes a difference.

~ Jane Goodall

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Paul Rumelhart
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 10:26 AM
To: Sunil
Cc: vision 2020
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] School director makes racial comments during graduation

I don't care what she thinks in a moment of emotional outburst.  Has she shown by her actions as principal that she is racist?  Has she implemented any policy against one racial group or in support of one racial group?  Shouldn't that be what matters and not some stupid outburst that is barely racist and that she immediately apologized for?  Is that what this world will come to?  Say one goddamned thing wrong, anywhere in your career, and you're now on food stamps?  Can you see why a person who believes in free speech and free expression might find that world distasteful?  Being "racist" isn't an on/off thing, anyway.  I can see it to be possible that by growing up in the deep south that a person would be exposed to racism during their formative years.  Maybe she fights that part of herself every day, and does the right thing despite years of racist beliefs when she was younger.  Do we know?  Should we immediately remove her from power because she screwed up once and said something like that?

That's why I think actual tolerance is a good idea.  She apologized.  Great.  Forgive her for her emotional outburst and move on.

Paul

On Tue, May 12, 2015 at 10:09 AM, Sunil <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com <mailto:sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> > wrote:

That's it? I've tried to explain why I disagree with you. If you think I'm fundamentally misunderstanding you or your argument, why don't you explain how?

For example, if you think I'm wrong to say that racists in positions of authority have the ability to harm other people, tell me why.

Sunil

  _____  

Date: Tue, 12 May 2015 08:45:07 -0700

Subject: Re: [Vision2020] School director makes racial comments during graduation
From: paul.rumelhart at gmail.com <mailto:paul.rumelhart at gmail.com> 
To: sunilramalingam at hotmail.com <mailto:sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> 
CC: vision2020 at moscow.com <mailto:vision2020 at moscow.com> 

Well, grab a torch and go after her.  I've said my piece.  No more words from me will have any affect on this, apparently.

Paul

On Tue, May 12, 2015 at 8:40 AM, Sunil <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com <mailto:sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> > wrote:

Paul,

The problem is that she is a person with racist views in a position of authority, where she has power over other people. I think it's wrong, but easy, to say 'They did decide to run her name through the online gauntlet, though, all in the name of political correctness.  I object to this.  Is that OK with you?'

I disagree with your characterization: She's not going through this gauntlet in the name of political correctness. I think racists in positions of authority have the ability to harm other people. I think that's objectively bad. So I think it's okay, in fact good, to expose this, and to either take away her power or to watch her carefully. That's not political correctness: that's making sure she can't harm people. I don't think we should use that term here at all.

When you're playing with your rubik's cube, you're not in a position to wield authority over others, and you're not a racist, far as I can see (I know, you're heaving a huge sigh of relief, right?) I don't think there's any valid comparison.

Sunil 

  _____  

Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 20:54:36 -0700
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] School director makes racial comments during graduation
From: paul.rumelhart at gmail.com <mailto:paul.rumelhart at gmail.com> 
To: sunilramalingam at hotmail.com <mailto:sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> 
CC: vision2020 at moscow.com <mailto:vision2020 at moscow.com> 

It's the public shaming aspect that I really don't like.  When I was talking about free speech I was just reiterating my feelings on the topic. You are right that no one has tried to stop her from exercising her free speech rights.  They did decide to run her name through the online gauntlet, though, all in the name of political correctness.  I object to this.  Is that OK with you?

I really, really, dislike witch-hunts. Why, you ask?  Because I'm usually the guy that is into the strange stuff, or the one sitting alone at a table or the one sitting in class playing with his rubik's cube, or the guy hiding his interests in perfectly legal but still frowned-upon subjects.  I'm very familiar with the idea that the problem with witch hunts is that someday, you'll be the witch.

The Tolerant, who I used to idolize, have become the new Puritans.

Paul

On Mon, May 11, 2015 at 8:39 PM, Sunil <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com <mailto:sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> > wrote:

Paul,,

Once again you have set up your bizarre straw man argument in which you pretend that everyone else is attacking the right to free speech and you are its sole defender. You consistently misunderstand the idea that no one is saying that this racist twit should not be allowed to speak freely. Rather other people are using their ability to freely speak to judge her. Your paragraph about limits to free speech makes no sense to me as I don't see anyone calling to restrict her speech.

I do think people are saying something that boils down to 'People should be smarter and not racist.' I think those are good goals.

Sunil

  _____  

Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 18:27:13 -0700
From: paul.rumelhart at gmail.com <mailto:paul.rumelhart at gmail.com> 
To: thansen at moscow.com <mailto:thansen at moscow.com> 
CC: vision2020 at moscow.com <mailto:vision2020 at moscow.com> 
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] School director makes racial comments during graduation

You mean to tell me, seriously, that there is at least one person in the deep south that is at least mildly racist?  I'm shocked.  Nay, stunned!  Of course we should create a "firestorm" and make her life a living hell.

Nobody cares, but I'm going to yet again reiterate my thoughts on this.  I believe in free speech.  As in the inalienable right we have to speak our minds.  I value that higher than the wish to live in a world where nobody will say anything bad against anyone else for fear of being the next viral victim.  She said something stupid, she apologized, she claimed she said something because of her emotional state that she shouldn't have.  Isn't that where it should end?  Hell, I wouldn't care if she said "screw you all, I stand by what I said!".  I don't know her, but if I did it would be one piece of information about her that I would never have known if she had cow-towed to the common group-think.  Isn't it better to make this known rather than hide it from everyone?

And yes, I do think that there should be limits to free speech - but the bar should be much higher than suggesting that members of one racial group might want to leave a graduation ceremony earlier than another racial group.  Much, much higher.  Like, badgering someone relentlessly to commit suicide or telling them that their brakes are fine when they know they are about to fail higher.

I want the world to be a better place where everyone loves everyone else, too.  I'll be overjoyed if it ever ends up that way.  Publicly shaming behaviour as trivial as this is not the way to get there, and it's definitely not worth the chilling effect it might produce.

The really ironic thing is that I think she was wrong to try to remove the person who was filming with their tablet in the first place.

Just my opinion.  Mr. Hansen, please feel free to skip your reflexive personal, combative response.  If you want to, of course.

Paul

On Mon, May 11, 2015 at 5:53 PM, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com <mailto:thansen at moscow.com> > wrote:

Courtesy of 11-Alive (Atlanta, Georgia) at:

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/stone-mountain/2015/05/10/tnt-academy-director-racial-comments/27079341/# <http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/stone-mountain/2015/05/10/tnt-academy-director-racial-comments/27079341/> 

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School director makes racial comments during graduation

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. – A small Atlanta-area private school is at the center of a national firestorm after the school's director made a racially charged statement.

During the graduation ceremony for TNT Academy Friday night, Nancy Gordeuk, the founder and director of the school, said, "Look who's leaving, all the black people!"

One of the graduates, Donte Lambert, said it all started when Gordeuk dismissed everyone early.

"She forgot the final speech, so she dismissed us all at first. Then she told everyone to come back. One parent got mad and he told his child to come on," Lambert said.

Gordeuk later apologized to the parents via email, saying she let her emotions get the best of her.

"A terrible mistake on my part of the graduation ceremony on Friday night," Gordeuk wrote. "The devil was in the house and came out from my mouth. I deeply apologize for my racist comment and hope that forgiveness is in your hearts." (READ HER FULL STATEMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STORY)

"She needs to get out of that field of being a teacher or a motivator. She doesn't need to be in that field at all," said Shakel Forman, Donte's mother.

The school is a private, non-traditional school founded for home-schoolers hoping to get an accredited degree.

The Georgia Accreditation Commission said in a statement that a teacher, parent or student must file a complaint in order for an investigation to begin.

11Alive stopped by Gordeuk's house on Saturday, but her husband said she was too emotionally drained to speak with us.

Gordeuk says she was frustrated in part because an unknown person walked to the front of the auditorium and began recording the graduation ceremony. After asking him to sit down, she later called security. She says she let her emotions get the best of her.

Many people in the audience recorded the video, which has since gone viral.

Lambert tells us he doesn't harbor any resentment. He's looking forward to moving on.

"I just want to think the positive side of it," Lambert said. "My family came out to support me and we made the best of the situation."

Gordeuk's full statement read:

A terrible mistake on my part was part of the graduation ceremony on Friday night. The devil was in the house and came out from my mouth. I deeply apologize for my racist comment and hope that forgiveness in in your hearts. We all make mistakes and anyone who knows me realizes that I try my hardest to work with the students for them to obtain their goal of a high school diploma.

I do not think I have discriminated against any family 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.

To address the incident at the graduation ceremony of May 8. Please keep the facts in perspective. An unknown man at the beginning of a speech decided to walk up to the front of the audience with his tablet, videotaping the audience and the students causing disruption to the audience and disrespect to the ceremony and its participants. When disregarding the request o please sit down, the security was asked to remove the man. At that point, booing of the request commenced. Frustrated with the prospect of ruining the once-in-a-lifetime ceremony the graduates have worked so hard for, my emotions got the best of me and that is when I blurted out "you people are being so rude to not listen to this speech (valedictorian). It was my fault that we missed the speech in the program." I look to the left where the man was and all I saw was a mass of people leaving and I said Look who's leaving, all the black people. At that point, members of the audience began to leave. 

The facts are the rude booing from my perspective facing the audience condoning the actions of this man, are coming from the younger people in the audience. What if ten or twenty persons came and started videotaping the audience in the middle of a speech. Is that disrespect to the person trying to make his speech? Or does that mean everyone can just do as they please?

I sincerely apologize to all the persons in attendance at the ceremony for the actions of the few causing the disturbance and for my emotional, un-called generalization of the black persons in attendance. I deeply apologize for my actions made in the emotional state of trying to let this last student finish his speech.

I take a personal interest in the success of every student that comes through our doors without regard to their race, religion or ethnicity. My main concern for each is to provide them with an education and high school diploma to be able to continue on the pathway toward adulthood to become a successful member of society.

You will find many, many parents of all races, religions and ethnic groups that have been serviced by our school and are very appreciative of our efforts on the behalf of their students. This same group of students had the same support we have given to every other graduating class. It is very easy to judge someone, however, we all make mistakes, as we are only human.

Again, I deeply apologize for my offensive comment in the heat of my emotional state in trying to achieve respect for a student to be able to speak.

--------------------

Video

http://youtu.be/EwHuQxBDGfU

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Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"

 <http://www.moscowcares.com/> http://www.MoscowCares.com

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

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