FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A high school principal, who is white, is apologizing for using the N-word when he was telling one of his students, who is also white, never to use the N-word.
This was at East Forsyth High School on Friday. The principal did not know the student was recording him.
The audio is now all over social media.
The principal, Jeff Cheney, voluntarily reported himself to the superintendent’s office Friday, according to the school district’s spokesperson. He confessed and apologized for what he had just said to the student while he was lecturing the student about inappropriate words and language, the school district said.
On the recording, the student asks Cheney, “So what am I calling you that’s so bad?”
Cheney replies, “"'Cracker.' 'Cracker' is slang for white. And it’s the antonym for N_____. Which is a very offensive comment. Right? And so it’s almost like saying that to a white person.”
According to a 2013 article from NPR, the term "cracker" has had different meanings and connotations over the years. It's often used as an insult toward white people. The N-word has a deep history. The racial slur was used as part of systemic oppression against Black people.
Public reaction has been swift.
“There should be no use of any language of that nature around students, around anyone, actually,” Michael Gallman said.
Many are saying that Cheney should know better than to equate the two words, and know better than to use the N-word, while telling a student never to use the N-word.
"And then you go against and say something that you would tell another student not to say,” Cressie Patterson said. “He contradicted himself, yeah. He's not leading up to his own expectations of what he sees and wants amongst his peers and his students.”
“It’s, you know, it's very upsetting to me,” Deitra Barnes said. “And I don't think that he should use the N-word because it's not appropriate.”
The school district spokesperson emailed a statement to 11Alive:
On Friday, September 9, East Forsyth High School Principal Jeff Cheney and two staff members met with a white student concerning the student's continued use of offensive language. The goal of the meeting was for the student to understand that we must all be sensitive and respectful to others. The student recorded the meeting without informing the three adults. The student then took a small portion of the recording and shared it with others.
In the 38-second recording Mr. Cheney says, “Cracker is slang for white and it’s the antonym to (full N word), which is a very offensive comment”. He immediately recognized his mistakes in comparing the two words and using the full N word. Mr. Cheney contacted the district office and met with the parents of the student to disclose this information, apologize, and commit to rectifying these mistakes in the future. He is not at school today (Monday, Sept. 12).
Forsyth County Schools believes that at no time and in no context should any variation of the N word be used. Students and adults make mistakes; Forsyth County School believes that we all can learn from our mistakes.