HOUSTON (AP) — A lawsuit says a Houston student's Constitutional rights were violated when she was expelled for not standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Randall Kallinen, an attorney for 17-year-old India Landry's family, said the civil lawsuit was filed Saturday against the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District and a high school principal.

The lawsuit says Landry, who'd been sitting for the pledge in class, was expelled Monday after doing that in the principal's office. The lawsuit says Landry returned to school Friday after the principal reversed course, saying Landry could sit.

Landry, who is black, told KHOU she doesn't think "the flag is what it says it's for, for liberty and justice and all that."

A district spokeswoman said Saturday she was unaware of a lawsuit and referred to a district statement saying a student won't be removed for refusing to stand for the pledge.