Alabama teacher admits telling students to 'turn the n*gger tunes off' after they played Tupac in class

An Alabama high school teacher was placed on paid leave for using a racial slur to complain about music students were playing in class last week.

Students are allowed to listen to music in teacher Teddie Butcher's food and nutrition class, but they said she complained about a song they'd chosen Friday while working on a project, reported AL.com.

The students were listening to "Dear Mama," by Tupac, when the white teacher returned to class.

According to multiple witnesses, Butcher told students to "turn the n*gger tunes off."

Students and their parents complained to Hoover High School administrators, and Butcher admitted to using the slur.

Butcher told the school superintendent that she was upset by profanity in the 1995 song, but parent Shenita Morrow said the lyrics do not contain any foul language.

Morrow, who is black, said she's most concerned about the "comfort level" Butcher displayed in using the slur.

School officials said Butcher apologized to students Monday, and she met privately with Morrow and her daughter.

"After meeting with her, it's just baffling to me how someone does not understand the severity of the weight of that word," Morrow said.

The incident remains under investigation, but students said school officials made them delete video evidence of Butcher using the slur.