She grew upset when some students and their families did not heed her orders to come back into the

A day of celebration quickly turned to disgust when a high school principal started spewing racist comments, causing most of the senior class and their supportive families to leave the graduation in protest.

Video of the commencement ceremony for TNT Academy in Lilburn, Georgia on Friday shows the moment the schools' founder Nancy Gordeuk stood up and admonished some of the students for leaving, saying: 'Look who's leaving...all the black people!'

At that statement, the incredulous crowd grows loud with anger and most of those sitting appear to get up and leave the church where the ceremony was taking place.

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Day ruined: The founder and operator of an alternative high school in Georgia is under fire for a racist comment she made at the school's graduation ceremony on Friday

Short fuse: Nancy Gordeuk, founder of TNT Academy, accidentally skipped over the valedictorian's speech and excused the audience prematurely. She got angry when some wouldn't follow her orders to return to the room to hear the speech

Unacceptable: After saying 'Look who's leaving - all the black people' most of the audience is seen getting up and leaving the church

Daily Mail Online spoke to Suzette Cole of Colorado, who was in town on Friday to see her nephew graduate in the alternative school's small class of just 48.

Cole, who was spent most of her career working in higher education, says she has attended at least 30 commencements in her life and has never heard someone speak at a graduation the way Gordeuk addressed the audience during the ceremony.

She says that the entire ceremony was 'tense' and that Gordeuk's racist comment was just the tipping point for herself and most of the other family members in the crowd.

Silent: Gordeuk (pictured) did not return Daily Mail Online's calls for comment

Daily Mail Online contacted both Gordeuk and the school for comment, but did not receive a response Saturday afternoon.

Cole's recollection of events is similar to several from commenters online who say Gordeuk lost control of the ceremony when she skipped over the valedictorian's speech and dismissed the graduating class early.

The valedictorian's mother, who was sitting directly in front of Cole, stood up as the recession music started and waved Gordeuk down saying 'You missed his speech! You missed his speech!'

Gordeuk then returned to the podium and told the class to come back into the auditorium so that they could hear the valedictorian (who Cole described as a white male) speak.

Upset that some were not heading her orders, Gordeuk snapped at individual members of the audience - including an African-American man who had come up to take a picture of the honor students sitting behind the podium with his iPad.

'I think ya'll owe this young man apology,' Mrs Gordeuk says, referring to the valedictorian. 'Especially that goober who was coming through with that little thing [an iPad] that was so rude where are you, you little coward? Come back here let's talk.'

'Ya'll are among the rudest people I've seen in my whole life,' Mrs Gordeuk continues, while ordering someone in the back to close the doors.

'You people are being so rude to not listen to this speech, it was my fault that we missed it in the program. Look who's leaving - all the black people!'

Following the comment the crowd erupts in anger, and Cole estimates that about two-thirds of the class and their families left the room to go outside - fed up with Gordeuk.

'I've recognized my white privilege since I was nine years old. I grew up on the south side of Atlanta in a predominately black and African-American community. I was deeply offended that that would come out of an educator's mouth. Not only an educator but the founder of the school,' Cole said.

'I can't help but feel that it must be motivated by something...some racist underdone of racist belief system,' Cole said.

She said the statement was especially shocking considering that it was incorrect. According to Cole, the first family to leave was a white female graduate and her family.

On Saturday, Gordeuk issued an apology for her remarks, which she said were made 'in the emotional state of trying to let this last student finish his speech' after inadvertently skipping it.

Tense: Suzette Cole, who was in the audience to watch her nephew graduate, says Gordeuk (pictured) also told families with small children to 'shut their mouths or leave'

'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," Gordeuk wrote in an apology letter, obtained by NBC News.

In relation to her slur about 'all the black people' leaving, she said: 'When I looked up all I saw was black families leaving, and thus the comment.' She added: 'I deeply apologize for my actions.'

On Friday, several others who attended the graduation issued similar sentiments to Cole online.

A woman named Brooklyn Jacobs posted a version of the video saying: 'I was here and captured the video of this very disrespected lady calling "black people" out. Never have I ever seen a high school graduation turn for the worse.'

A user on YouTube named Leonard James commented on a video and said he was there and that everyone in the audience - black and white - was offended by Gordeuk's statement.

'White people even rushed the podium and cursed her out shortly before she made that outlandish comment. Everyone collectively got up and left as a unified group in co-ordinance, NO ONE agreed with this,' he wrote.

Above, a view inside TNT Academy - an alternative middle and high school for students who choose to finish their education via independent study

In addition to the racist remark, Cole says that Gordeuk told families with babies near the beginning of the speech to 'either keep their mouths shut or leave.'

While she wasn't there, Cole says that she believes the valedictorian was able to give his speech at one point. She says a friend who stayed behind heard a group of parents confront Gordeuk, telling her she was 'out of line'.

The alternative school in Stone Mountain, Georgia educates middle and high school students who chose to complete their education through independent study.