A retired Air Force sergeant filed a lawsuit against the Air Force Monday. Two years ago, he was forcibly removed from a retirement ceremony during his speech for saying the word “God.”

Retiring Air Force sergeant Charles Roberson asked Sgt. Oscar Rodriguez to give a flag-folding speech for Roberson’s retirement ceremony. The ceremony was held at Travis Air Force Base in California on April 3, 2016. As Rodriguez began speaking, several Air Force officials forcefully removed him from the building. The assault was captured on video. Rodriguez told Fox News that the suit is about his First Amendment rights, which were violated.

Ousted for Mentioning God

“I was removed from the speech because my script mentioned God,” said Rodriguez. “Air Force officials did not want me to utter those words. There was no direct communication between the Air Force and myself to forbid me from making this speech.”

Rodriguez’s speech mentions God several times. Rodriguez ends his speech with: “Our flag is a beacon, recognized around the world to represent freedom during times of peace, or during times of war.”

This is what we live for. This is what we will fight for, and if necessary to touch the hand of God in her defense, the charge that we accept as Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines is a noble one for there is no heart stronger than that of a volunteer. Let us pray that God will reflect with admiration the willingness of one nation in her attempt to rid the world of tyranny, oppression, and misery. It is this one nation under God that we call, with honor, the United States of America.

“God Bless our flag,” he concluded. “God bless our troops. God bless America.”

A Travis Air Force Base official said Rodriguez didn’t follow the “prescribed ceremony.” That’s why he was removed. But Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said the ceremony’s content should have been up to Roberson. “Since retirement ceremonies are personal in nature, the script preference for a flag folding ceremony is at the discretion of the individual being honored and represents the member’s views, not those of the Air Force.”

Airmen are ‘Strong Enough’

First Liberty Institute, a legal firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty for Americans, is representing Rodriguez. First Liberty Institute’s general counsel Hiram Sasser said that no one should be assaulted for saying the word “God” on an Air Force base. “Certainly, our United States Airmen are strong enough to be exposed to the word ‘God’ at a retirement ceremony.”

First Liberty’s Mike Berry, attorney for Rodriguez, said that the Air Force officials must be held accountable for their actions. “Two years ago, after the incident occurred, we would have been satisfied with a simple apology,” he said in a statement to The Stream. “But the Air Force has refused to apologize or even admit that what happened was wrong. We were left with no option but to file this lawsuit to vindicate Rodriguez and Roberson’s constitutional rights.”

Watch the ceremony: