Boris Becker's family’s lawyer has been instructed to take legal action against MP Jens Maier after Maier called Becker's son a racial slur | Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images AfD politician sparks outcry with racial slur against Boris Becker’s son German tennis star’s family pursuing legal action.

An MP from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) sparked outcry over a tweet that used a racial slur against tennis star Boris Becker’s son.

After Noah Becker, who is mixed race, said he had been attacked due to his skin color, a tweet from AfD MP Jens Maier's account called him a "little Halbneger" — which roughly translates as half-n----r. The tweet, sent on Tuesday, also said the only thing that could explain the younger Becker's behavior was that he “apparently just got too little attention.”

The tweet was later deleted. Maier told a Bild journalist via Twitter on Wednesday that “an employee” had posted the message and that it was removed “immediately once it became known.” Bild reported that Maier would not name the employee nor what consequences the person could face.

Bild also reported that the Becker family’s lawyer has been instructed to take legal action against Maier.

Twitter users roundly condemned Maier for the tweet and leading German actor Til Schweiger called Maier a “disgusting scumbag” in a post on Facebook.

AfD co-leader Alexander Gauland distanced himself from the tweet. “That is not my style,” he said, according to German media.

The AfD is already facing scrutiny after another Bundestag member, Beatrix von Storch, tweeted about “barbaric, gang-raping Muslim hordes of men.” Von Storch’s account was suspended by Twitter temporarily on Monday because of the tweet, and she also faces a police investigation for hate speech.

Twitter has been cracking down on hate speech in Germany due to a new national law that threatens social media companies with a fine of up to €50 million if they do not remove illegal content promptly.