dante renzulli of our atlanta affiliate wgcl reports. >> i was shocked. for a second i thought i was the only one. i looked around and i saw everyone -- everyone is -- we're all looking the same way. >> reporter: miya paige said she couldn't believe what she heard from a principal and founder of the academy say. >> i apologized to everyone in attendance there. >> reporter: nancy gorduk is the woman at the center of this controversy. >> the statement was not made as a racist remark. >> reporter: she said the clip that's circulating around the internet doesn't show the disruption during the ceremony that caused her to gradually become more agitated and lose her composure. she wanted people to stay and hear from the valedictorian who was skipped from the program. >> my concern was wanting people to hear the speech. i looked and the black people were leaving. it was like the devil was in the house. >> everyone was laughing, smiling, picture-taking. how the devils was in the house, i haven't a clue. >> reporter: she said she was offended by the comment. she sa