UPDATE: MSCS Board Chair Joyce Dorse Coleman also released a statement:

“I am aware of the recent social media activity of my colleague, Board Member Towanna Murphy. As duly elected officials, all board members are expected to uphold the highest standards of decorum and professionalism while representing the district and the Board at all times. I must publicly acknowledge that her recent social media comments fall well short of those expectations.” To read the entire statement, click here.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Shelby County School Board member Towanna Murphy has issued an apology a day after she threatened to deport a woman she exchanged words with in a private message on Facebook.

The messages were later made public and posted on the social media site.

In a statement released Wednesday by a public relations group, Murphy said:

I want to apologize to the community and my board colleagues for my interaction in a social media direct message with a member of our community. While I found the initial message from the individual to be disrespectful and upsetting, my response did not represent the professionalism and respect that I know should be a standard in my service as an MSCS Board Member. It certainly was not a reflection of my true feelings or intentions toward the Latino community.

I recognize the trauma and challenges facing our immigrant and refugee communities, and regret that this interaction did not reflect my understanding and concern for these issues. I want to assure my constituents that I know our schools must be safe and welcoming environments for all students and families. This interaction comes at a time when we need to show support to ensure public education is available for all.

I am committed to learning from this experience, rebuilding trust with our full community, and working towards my goal to lead with professionalism and compassion.

The woman who messaged Murphy shared the heated exchange with WREG but wanted to remain anonymous.

Murphy said at the time she was angry because the woman came into her inbox and called her the ‘b-word’.

“I was upset that she disrespected me. Was it the right thing to do? No, but it was wrong on her behalf, and I want an apology from her,” Murphy said.

The former MSCS student told Murphy she was an embarrassment and should resign before calling Murphy a stupid b—-h.

The 19-year-old also told Murphy to stop using filters because they didn’t make her any prettier, and that’s when Murphy responded by saying, “Baby, be quiet before I have you deported.”

“I’m scared,” said the woman. “That’s really scary, especially with everything that’s going on, especially since I have a little nephew who attends Memphis Shelby County Schools.”

Murphy also grabbed a screenshot of the woman from her profile page and commented on her appearance.

“She said I was built like a light bulb,” said the woman. “I really think that’s disrespectful, and I would like her to get fired.”

Jose Salazar, an immigrant and community organizer, also weighed in on Facebook. Salazar said Murphy’s comments were embarrassing and that she needs to apologize and resign.

“She’s a public figure, and I think she needs to be careful about how she represents herself. She does represent a large community of immigrant kids. So, I mean, you know it’s kind of sad that she even expresses herself like that.”

Murphy took to Facebook to respond to the posts. She said over the last three months, she had received a lot of threats in her inbox. Murphy said most of the time, she just blocks it, but recently, she has clapped back at a few people.

Murphy told WREG the woman did not threaten her, but she had no right to speak to her like that, and she had the right to defend herself.

“Don’t think you can just come into our inbox and disrespect us. That young lady doesn’t know nothing about me. I don’t know nothing about her. What was her reason for doing that?” said Murphy. “She has no idea how I’ve been doing things. I’ve been fighting for black and brown kids all my life.”

The woman said she wanted to file complaints with the police and the school district.