Georgia school superintendent used racial slurs, former employee says in lawsuit

A white metro-Atlanta school superintendent was recorded delivering racist rants while talking about black workers, according to a federal lawsuit filed by former employee Mary Ingram, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported in a Tuesday exclusive.

The lawsuit alleges Buford, Ga., school superintendent Geye Hamby used racial slurs in two conversations. A lawyer for the school board questioned the authenticity of the audio, the paper reported.

With a separate story published Wednesday, the paper posted portions of the audio.

“Well damn, they said theys from a temp service, so I guess, I mean, you got, I mean, have you got any more of these big n***** than the ones from the temp service?” a voice says in the recording.

“Got deadbeat n***** ... Phillip said he went over there and mother***** sitting there on the cellphone and he went over there and they sitting there and one of them got smart with him when he asked what he was supposed to ...”

A man interrupts and says the workers were waiting for a forklift.

“He said he worked for the temp service, and he didn’t have to do what the f*** we tell him to do. F*** that n*****. I kill these g****mn, shoot that mother***** if they let me. Alright. Well, check out what’s going on with all the n***** down here.”

In another portion of the audio, the same voice says a man named Phillip “told two of the n***** to get off the damn job site” and again refers to the workers as “deadbeat n*****.”

The audio, which is extremely graphic, can be heard below.

Ingram said she brought the lawsuit after being ultimately dismissed after raising questions about the color scheme for a new building, Fox 5 reported. Ingram’s lawsuit says the color scheme for the new building omitted the color gold, which symbolized a historic black school, according to the station.

The lawsuit says Ingram was terminated in 2017 after she was “perceived as being disrespectful, argumentative and unfriendly and not a good fit in a school environment,” according to the Gainesville Times. Lawyers for the district maintained that any actions taken against Ingram were legitimate and not retaliatory, the paper reported.

Ingram’s lawyer, Ed Buckley, told WSB the recordings were sent anonymously to Ingram.

“We have had it analyzed are prepared to demonstrate that at the appropriate time. We are also confident there will be other witnesses who will identify it as Mr. Hamby’s voice,” Buckley said, according to the station.

According to the Fox 5 report, Buckley said he would like to find and speak to whoever made the recording.

“(W)e have been unable to determine its veracity and authenticity and whether the recording was altered and was at the consent of at least one party or the product of illegal surveillance,” said Walt Britt, the school board’s lawyer, according to the AJC.

Hamby told WSB the issue was a “personal and legal matter pertaining to a disgruntled employee” and that he had been advised by legal counsel not to comment.

Lawyers for the district maintained that “all actions taken with respect to the plaintiff were for legitimate, non-discriminatory and non-retaliatory reasons,” the Gainesville Times reported.