BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Authorities say a Louisiana pediatrician was arrested Wednesday and accused of physically and verbally assaulting a Southern University student-athlete while she was walking near the LSU Lakes.

Baton Rouge police say 54-year-old Shane McKinney was charged with simple battery. Police say the student was walking along the lake Monday night when a man punched her in the chest and verbally assaulted her.

Southern officials believe the assault was racially motivated.

McKinney was a pediatric emergency medicine doctor at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital but he’s since been placed on administrative leave.

His profile was also removed from the hospital’s website. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney.