Georgia State University Soccer Player Withdraws After Allegedly Using Racial Slur Online

A student-athlete at Georgia State University withdrew from the school Monday after being suspended for using a racial slur on social media.

Natalia Martinez, 18, of Weston, Florida, had her name erased from the school’s athletic registry after the slur reportedly appeared on her personal Finsta account, a private social media site similar to Instagram.

Associate athletic director Mike Holmes said the school learned of the situation early Friday.

"Georgia State Athletics is aware of an incident on social media involving one of our student-athletes on Friday. We do not tolerate the language the student used in her post. Pursuant to our student-athlete code of conduct, she has been suspended from the soccer team," the university said in a statement.

After news of the incident surfaced, Georgia State students called for the expulsion of Martinez in a petition that received over 600 signatures as of Monday.

"As a progressive, diverse university, we feel like this sort of behavior should not be tolerated," India Bridgeforth, the student who started the petition, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Georgia State has a mission statement that reads, "The university provides an outstanding education and exceptional support for students from all backgrounds."

Martinez’s withdrawal from Georgia State comes almost a week after the University of Alabama announced it had expelled freshman Harley Barber, who had recorded a racist outburst on social media.