What does it mean when a guy defends you against his friends but says something insensitive to you in front of them?

[Anonymous]

it’s very obvious this guy likes me EVERYONE knows it but he’s white i’m black so i think that’s why he hasn’t made a move in the past year... anyway i was walking ahead of his friends i heard them talking about me (i’m not fully sure what they said) but he said leave her alone and then he met up with me and said under his breath a derogatory word that was insensitive and high key racist and i said i hate you to him and he was like i was talking about myself and i said SURE you were cause you’re the only black person insight and then he said i’m michael jackson i was once black but now i’m white... and i was like i can’t stand you. i just don’t understand how he’s going to defend me against his friends but say lowkey hurtful stuff even though he’s trying to be funny

[madgoat]

What was the derogatory word?