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Central Georgia NAACP leaders to address Houston County trainer's racist remarks in viral videos

Macon-Bibb and Houston County Branch NAACP will hold a press conference "regarding the racial hatred coach Mark Taylor has expressed against African Americans."

MACON, Ga. — UPDATE, 8:17 p.m.:

Macon-Bibb NAACP has moved the time of the news conference to 11 a.m. It was originally scheduled to begin at noon.

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Central Georgia NAACP leaders are planning to speak out after videos posted on social media showed a Houston County-based sports trainer making racist remarks.

According to a release, at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Macon-Bibb NAACP and Houston County Branch NAACP will hold a press conference at Rosa Parks Park in downtown Macon "regarding the racial hatred coach Mark Taylor has expressed against African Americans through social media."

Videos show Taylor making racist slurs toward a Black woman driving in downtown Atlanta and saying someone named "Roe" would hang the woman from a tree. They show him using the N-word several times.

Taylor offers personal training for kids 8 and up in football, basketball, track, and other sports.    

On his company's Facebook page, Taylor markets himself as a former Georgia Bulldog football player, GHSA Track Coach of the Year six times, and personal connections to SEC coaches like Kirby Smart and Nick Saban.

Taylor is a former Northside Middle School teacher and coach, and in 2007, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of influencing a witness.

He was accused that same year of stalking and harassing his ex-fiancée, who was also a teacher.

Houston County Schools fired Taylor from his teaching and coaching jobs in 2007, and he was banished from the county.

13WMAZ reached out to Taylor by phone and by email. He has not responded.

Taylor rented a space at Central Fellowship Christian Academy to train students. 

The academy released a statement saying they give "no room for racism" and that they have ended the relationship with Taylor and his training company. 

They say he was never a school employee. 

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