Woods' kindergarten teacher says he made up childhood racial attack story

New York, April 3 (ANI): A former kindergarten teacher of professional golfer Tiger Woods has come forward to say that his story about being racially abused as a kid is not true.

In a 2005 book written by Charles Barkley, Woods, 34, said he was taunted at a young age by schoolmates because he was bi-racial, and he was tied to a tree and spray painted with the N-word by older kids.

Retired teacher, Maureen Decker, who says the story is not true and that she has been unfairly maligned, has hired lawyer Gloria Allred, and wants a retraction and an apology.

"I was shocked, saddened and disappointed ... by his false accusations of racial abuse," the New York Post quoted her as saying during a news conference in Los Angeles.

Decker said that as a result, she suffered migraine headaches, high blood pressure and other ailments because it "cast a shadow" on her and the school.

In the book, Woods also told of how he was beaten down in the playground by a group of racist white kids.

"I became aware of my racial identity on my first day of school, on my first day of kindergarten," he was quoted as saying in the book.

"A group of sixth graders tied me to a tree, spray-painted the word 'n-----' on me, and threw rocks at me. That was my first day of school. And the teacher really didn't do much of anything," he stated.

Decker, who decided to address the issue five days after the book was released as she was not able to "get through to" Woods, also said that there was no way older students could ever enter the area where the kindergarten kids played.

"I want a public apology and a private apology," she said.

Decker, who is also mentioned in a video about Woods' life, said she's not looking for any money from him.

In addition, the former principal of the Cerritos Elementary School, in Cypress, Calif., where Woods attended, says he has no knowledge of the incident.

A parent, Linda DaViega, who was always around the school at that time period, also said she has never heard of such an incident happening. (ANI)