This story has been updated to include comments from a Twitter spokesperson.

A weather and climate research center has severed ties with a senior physicist in the atmospheric science community after he posted an offensive tweet directed at a Hispanic meteorologist.

Timothy J. Dunkerton of Bellevue, Wash., lost his job at NorthWest Research Associates (NWRA), effective Friday. He also faces possible sanctions from the American Meteorological Society (AMS), where he is listed as a fellow — an honor granted to select members. Fellows represent just two-tenths of 1 percent of all AMS members.

Until now, there have been no well-publicized instances of the AMS pursuing specific actions in a case of alleged harassment.