Former Madison High school staff member says he's not angry after firing

A former Madison West High School security guard said he’s not angry after the district fired him for saying the n-word in response to a student who was directing the word at him.

"I didn't have an opportunity to be mad, scared, worried or anything. I just got hit with a busload of love," Marlon Anderson, former Madison West High School security guard said.

Anderson said he received messages on social media from people all over the country.

"Literally people have stopped me on the street and just gave me a hug," he said.

Hollywood star Cher chimed in on Twitter saying she would

any of Anderson's legal expenses.

"I was so overwhelmed," he said.

He said this magnitude of a response was the last thing he expected.

"It's so refreshing and it's such a blessing because I keep thinking I'm supposed to be angry right now with everything that has been going on, but I haven't had an opportunity to be angry because I'm surrounded by so much love," Anderson said.

He said after he was fired, he was uncertain about how he would move forward.

"You lose your job the first thing that popped into head was omg my family and my health. So all these things started coming at me," he said.

Anderson was fired from his job for repeating a racial slur as he was telling a student not to use it. The school district said they have a zero tolerance policy for employees saying racial slurs.

"In the context in which I used the word I was trying to correct a behavior, and correct the mentality and have a restorative conversation with the young man,” Anderson said.

Anderson said the last three years that he's worked at the school he strives to be a positive influence for students.

On Oct. 18, hundreds at Madison West High School

out of class to stand in solidarity with Anderson.

"I was so proud of those young people," he said. "Usually people go through their whole life thinking they made an impact, and they'll never know until their funeral."

But Anderson said, he knows he's made a difference. If he gets his job back, he'll continue to motivate and educate students.

"If a young man is walking through the hallways and walking through life with a mentality that ‘I'm a n-word,’ He needs to be told you are so much more than a word that was given to you to oppress you," Anderson said.

Yesterday NBC15

, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, who gave Anderson a temporary job just 24 hours after he was fired from Madison West. We reached out to the Madison School District for additional comment this weekend, but have not heard back.