A Somers High School athlete is in hot water after shouting a racial epithet at several African-American students visiting the campus earlier this month.

School officials say members of the junior varsity lacrosse team were returning from a game when they encountered four female African-American students from New Rochelle High School, who were at Somers to compete in sporting events. Administrators say the lacrosse players were acting boisterous, and when they saw the girls one student athlete yelled out the "n" word at them.

Somers officials insist the girls did not hear the racial epithet, but the team's coach and bus driver did. The student in question, a 15-year-old sophomore, was immediately kicked off the team and suspended from school. The rest of the team faced disciplinary action as well.

"We have zero tolerance for that type of thing," said Somers Assistant Superintendent Kenneth Crowley. "We take them very seriously. We don't sweep them under the rug, we confront them."

Crowley offered an apology last Friday to the students of New Rochelle, and he was adamant that his district will try to use this terrible incident as a teaching opportunity for the entire student body.

This incident follows the nasty, racially charged dispute between the Mahopac and Mount Vernon basketball teams earlier this year. Several Mahopac students were suspended after sending out racist tweets about members of Mount Vernon's team.

News 12 contacted officials at the New Rochelle School District, but they said they were not made aware of this incident.