Students at a Rhode Island high school witnessed a bizarre event as a candidate for the state’s attorney general seat hurled an ear-piercing racial slur at his opponent.

Compassion Party candidate Alan Gordon stunned students at North Kingstown High School on Tuesday when he appeared to overreact to his opponent, Peter Neronha, talking about marijuana.

A video posted by TMZ showed Gordon, who shares a home with Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate Anne Armstrong, also a member of the minor political party, become agitated by his Democratic opponent’s use of the word “marijuana” which he claimed was racially charged.

He attempted to prove his point by comparing it to the n-word which he proceeded to shout out, spelling letter by letter as students roared with a mixture of shock and applause.

Gordon yelled and spelled, calling it “a curse to my people.”

“You will not say it in this school again, today or in lessons. Knock it off!!” He shouted, storming off the stage, declaring, “I’m done!”

Apparently Gordon was promised that Neronha would not use the word “marijuana,” according to TMZ.

Armstrong, who runs a cannabis healing clinic with Gordon, told TMZ the word “marijuana” is “extremely offensive to them because it’s rooted in racial stereotypes.”

Gordon and Armstrong were arrested earlier in the month with allegedly 48 pounds of marijuana according to police, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile Neronha, the former Rhode Island District Attorney under President Barack Obama, defended his use of the word, telling WPRO Radio’s Dan Paquet he was perfectly “comfortable” with it.

You heard it first with me. @PeterNeronha reacting to Alan Gordon using the N-word at a candidate forum at North Kingstown High School.https://t.co/qsuBOyVt73

— DAN PAQUET (@danpaquet) October 24, 2018

The Democratic candidate was happy to be at his alma mater for the event, he shared, even though Gordon’s behavior was “unconventional.”

As a proud @NKHS_RI alum & the father of a class of ’18 grad, I enjoyed returning to be a part of Candidates Day & talk about why I’m running for AG. Great work by faculty & students in organizing this event. pic.twitter.com/zmLsSKzw9j

— Peter Neronha (@PeterNeronha) October 24, 2018

Neronha remained gracious in the interview, never slamming his opponent though he agreed Gordon’s spelling of the n-word, especially to a room full of teenagers, was inappropriate.

Twitter users seemed just as shocked by Gordon’s outburst as the high school students in that room.

…and waking up to Rhode Island on TMZ. Big Yikes. https://t.co/kT4iA7COGZ

— Bekah Berger (@BekahBerger) October 24, 2018

What theeeeee

— Lindsay Iadeluca (@NBC10_Lindsay) October 24, 2018

You can’t spell out the N-Word and then get mad when someone says the word “marijuana.” Oh, unless you were arrested with 48 pounds of marijuana earlier in the year…..

This guy is running for Attorney General in Rhode Island. https://t.co/PC0JQKShnA

— James Kosur (@JamesKosur) October 24, 2018

If this guy gets a single vote there needs to be an investigation.

— Richard Enos (@RickEnos_813) October 24, 2018

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Frieda Powers

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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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