Georgia school superintendent resigns after alleged audio recording of racist rant

A school superintendent in Georgia has resigned following allegations that he made racist comments, which were allegedly captured in audio recordings.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Friday that Geye Hamby, the superintendent of Buford, Georgia’s school system, sent a resignation letter to the school board after he was accused in a lawsuit of making racist comments.

“My sincere apologies for any actions that may have created adversity for this community and the Buford School District,” he wrote in the short letter obtained by the local publication. “Thank you for your many years of support and leadership.”

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court earlier this year, audio recordings were included in which a man alleged to have been Hamby used racial slurs and said that he wanted to kill black construction workers who had upset him.

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“[Expletive] that [N-word]. I’ll kill these [expletive] — shoot that [expletive] if they let me,” the person can be heard saying in the audio recordings. The person can also be heard repeatedly referring to blacks as “deadbeat [N-word].”

According to the Journal-Constitution, the lawsuit does not indicate when Hamby allegedly made the racist remarks or who he was speaking with in the audio. In a response filed on Aug. 1, lawyers representing Hamby denied that he made the remarks.

Hamby’s resignation arrives days after he was placed on administrative leave following the allegations.

In a statement to the publication shortly after he was placed on leave, Hamby did not directly address the racist allegations against him and said he was told not to comment.

“This is a personnel and legal matter pertaining to a disgruntled employee,” he said. 

The Buford school system also said in a statement to the publication on Wednesday that the board “anticipates further action on this matter” and that the district will continue to “focus on the mission of empowering our students to reach their full potential.”