Within 24 hours, the controversy had garnered the attention of GIA Publications. In the world of choral music, GIA is not merely a publisher; it is the major publisher of religious content, thanks to its association with the post–Vatican II Roman Catholic Church. GIA was Elder's publisher, and an important source of his income. On the morning of June 1, GIA President Alec Harris and media editor Susan LaBarr contacted Elder about posting an apology.

This apology had already been written by GIA; all Elder had to do was post it. The remarks prepared on his behalf are as follows, and worth reading in full:

"Over the weekend I made a post on my social media accounts that was insensitive and wrongly-worded. I deeply apologize for the anger, offense, and harm that this post caused. While this offense was not intended, it is what was created. For this I am truly sorry.

"There is no justification that I can offer for my post. So, rather than try to offer an excuse for what was done, I offer a promise for what I will do going forward. I commit to making amends and to dialogue. I commit to continue educating myself about privilege and bias. I commit to continue seeking an understanding of the experience of others, especially the Black community. I know that working for justice requires that we each first act justly. My work begins now."

LaBarr added that while "we know that you write music that promotes social justice," this was not clear to people who had read the Instagram post.

"We're feeling time pressure on this as some people are calling for boycotts," added LaBarr. "It's all very heavy."

Elder wasn't inclined to make such a groveling apology, and was dismayed to see his colleagues siding with his critics.

"I chose to be that guy who didn't issue the apology," he says. "Things went from there and it wasn't good."

Within hours, GIA issued a denunciation of Elder.

"The views expressed in composer Daniel Elder's incendiary social media post on Sunday evening do not reflect the values of GIA or our employees," it read. "GIA opposes racism in all its forms and is committed to do what Michelle Obama called 'the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out.'"

Note this PR statement endorses the view that Elder had made an "incendiary" statement. Neither Harris nor LaBarr responded to a request for clarification as to which aspect of Elder's anti-arson agenda they oppose.

GIA also announced that the company would no longer publish Elder.

"We are grateful to those who brought this to our attention and to all who continue to hold individuals and organizations to account," the statement concluded.

GIA made this announcement on Facebook. Virtually all the comments were supportive, though one person asked why the company had not scrubbed all referenced to Elder on its website. ("What's the plan?" asked this individual. "Keep supporting a bigot?")