September 11th is just another day to administrators at Alvernia University.

Zach Zechman
Courtesy: Facebook/Zach Zechman

Zach Zechman, a senior at the Reading, Pennsylvania university — and also a firefighter — was ordered to remove an American flag hanging in the window of his on-campus residence because it violated school rules.

“I’m a firefighter, so in honor of the 343 firefighters (that were killed on 9/11), I, along with my roommates, draped a flag from our second floor windows,” Zechman tells NBC 10.

A couple hours after he hung the flag, two resident assistants came to him, pointing to the policy on page 61 of the student handbook he was supposedly violating.

“American flags are welcome and flying throughout Alvernia’s campus at half-staff in honor of the day,” Carey Manzolillo, Associate Director of Communications for the university says. “Our student policy does however state that sheets, banners or other such objects may not be hung outside of windows or on the exterior portion of any residence hall.”

Zechman took to Facebook to voice his disgust, writing, “my school, Alvernia university, told me I’m not allowed to fly a American flag out the window of my house. even on a day like today. this schools a joke.”

my school, Alvernia university, told me I’m not allowed to fly a American flag out the window of my house. even on a day like today. this schools a joke

Posted by Zach Zechman on Friday, September 11, 2015

WGN reports Zechman took down the flag and is looking to meet with school administrators to change the policy and allow the flag to be flown on “certain occasions.”

“I want it to be different for a day like today, where something like that means something,” Zechman says.

To Alvernia administrators, however, it’s just another day to follow the rules.

“Alvernia encourages students and all members of its campus community to display the American flag on 9.11 and all other days of the year in ways that don’t pose a safety risk and that are consistent with the policies of the university,” Manzolillo tells Patch.