“I, two years ago, had to fire my best friend (of over 30 years) for making the same racist remark while in my employ.”
You were not his friend at all.
I absolutely was and still am. I provided employment, the salary from which he used to raise his family and provide a good life for them all. He was well aware of my beliefs and the lack of tolerance for certain issues. And he put me in the position of having to do it - a fact that he acknowledged even while we were discussing his departure. He, to this day, apologizes because he knows I lament the lack of his talents at my company.