Student Suspended for Refusing to Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, Files Suit Against School Principal
A 17-year-old student from Houston is now suing her high school district after the Windfern High School principal allegedly suspended her for her refusal to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance. The student, India Landry, said she deliberately remained seated during the pledge to express her objection against police brutality and Donald Trump's presidency.
According to Landry, her school only asked her to leave after the most recent incident, but she had been doing the same for more than a hundred times before. In the lawsuit filed by Landry against her school, she states that the administrators of Windfern High School had been "recently whipped into a frenzy" by the players of the National Football League who kneel for the national anthem.
"I said I wouldn't, and they said you are kicked out of here. The other woman said this isn't the NFL, you won't do this here," said Landry, who also added that her expulsion violated her First Amendment Rights. According to her, she does not believe that the U.S. flag represents justice for everyone.
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Landry also recounted that she was told that if her mother could not get there in five minutes, the police would then come. "I was actually terrified, I see what's going on with the country. That scared the hell out of me. I thought let me hurry up and get to my baby before something happens to her," said her mother, Kizzy.
Although Landry has already been allowed to return to school, she said she'll continue to sit for during the Pledge of Allegiance. When asked for comments, the school said they were not aware of the lawsuit filed by Landry and noted that a student would not be removed from school just because of refusing to stand for the pledge.
Landry filed the suit last Saturday against the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District and the principal of Windfern.
