A Muslim college student has been kicked off Kansas’s Garden City Community College basketball team – for disrespecting the National Anthem.

Rasool Samir, 19, refused to leave the court during the National Anthem, which was a team rule, during a game on November 1. He continued to practice shooting baskets as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played.

The day after his dismissal, Samir apologized for what happened, saying he did not “mean any disrespect at all to the fans or the flag at last night’s game. I am truly sorry to anyone that felt disrespected, and I am also sorry to the school. I apologize for what happened.”

Samir has since filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union, claiming that the college violated his First Amendment rights.

The ACLU sent a letter to Garden City Community College, demanding that they give detailed answers about why Samir lost his spot on the team, arguing that, because Garden City is a public school, it must honor Samir’s First Amendment rights.

The ACLU cited Samir’s religion claiming, “he refrained from participating in the anthem because he is a Muslim and his faith prohibits acts of reverence to anything but God.” Their representatives also asserted that the school had stifled freedom of speech, arguing that Samir was forced to engage in “a kind of compelled patriotic salute” to play sports.