BASKING RIDGE -- A junior at the University of Alabama who grew up in Somerset County and is a volunteer firefighter has apologized after sending racist and violent messages to a woman at another school via the dating app Tinder.

Kyle Harcourt, 20, sent the messages last Thursday to Emi Miller, a 20-year-old college student in Virginia, she told NJ Advance Media.

In the exchange, Harcourt first asks if the black man in one of the photos on her profile page is Miller's boyfriend. Then, he writes "ain't no one like a (racial expletive)-loving white girl."

Miller said she was initially confused by the message until she realized the black person Harcourt was apparently referring to is actually a female roommate who is wearing a hat in the picture.

Harcourt also wrote that "I come from Alabama where the only place we like our (racial expletive) is hanging from trees" in addition to homophobic remarks.

"I couldn't believe those words were coming from this man's mouth," said Miller, adding that she's bisexual. "I thought something had to be done. That this was unacceptable. That's when I took a screen shot."

Miller posted the screen shot on her Twitter page with hashtags to both the University of Alabama and Harcourt's Sigma Pi Fraternity. Much to her surprise, the posting went viral and the University of Alabama announced it had initiated a disciplinary review and condemned the statements.

"Words can not express how truly sorry I am for the hurt that my actions have caused," Harcourt said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. "I take sole responsibility for my actions and recognize they are completely unacceptable.

"I have begun therapy through the help of professional counselors and will continue to do so. Once again, I am deeply sorry."

Monica Watts, associate vice president of communication, confirmed that the university is investigating the matter. In a tweet, the fraternity stated Harcourt's membership has been terminated.

Harcourt has been an active volunteer firefighter in Basking Ridge for several years, rising to the rank of junior captain by 2013, according to information on the Liberty Corner Fire Company website. He had responded to 350 service calls by 2014, the same year he was awarded a community service scholarship, The Bernardsville News reported.

Liberty Corner Fire Chief Ken White said that he's aware of the allegations and wants to conduct an investigation before commenting.

"I was glad to see the university respond as quickly as it did," Miller said. "I'm glad I started this conversation. I really hope the University of Alabama takes this opportunity to send a strong message against bigotry."

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.