Smith-Cotton High School’s Evolution Band Shirts Now on Sale

You remember this shirt?

That was the shirt worn by some high school band members in Sedalia, Missouri… that is, until religious parents called to complain they were offended by evolution:

[Assistant Superintendent Brad] Pollitt said the district is required by law to remain neutral where religion is concerned.

“If the shirts had said ‘Brass Resurrections’ and had a picture of Jesus on the cross, we would have done the same thing,” he said.

Band parent Sherry Melby, who is a teacher in the district, stands behind Pollitt’s decision. Melby said she associated the image on the T-shirt with Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

“I was disappointed with the image on the shirt.” Melby said. “I don’t think evolution should be associated with our school.”

The story has a bit of an update.

The print shop that created the design for the shirt, Main Street Logo, is getting so many requests from people interested in purchasing the shirts, they’re taking advantage of the opportunity and making the sales:

Initially, both men debated whether or not to reproduce the shirts but eventually decided it was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up.

“We have carefully tried to consider the feelings of the people that feel strongly about the shirts,” Ingram said. “But, to survive in small business we’d be fools not to.”

If you’re interested in purchasing the shirt, just contact the store here and let them know! You can also support them on Facebook.

(via Trina Hoaks)

Spanish Inquisitor

“I was disappointed with the image on the shirt.” Melby said. “I don’t think evolution should be associated with our school.”

OK. That’s got to go in the Fundy’s Say The Stupidest Things category.

The bedrock of biology, probably required by the state science standards, shouldn’t be associated with their school.? What next? Algebra? History?
H

The print shop that created the design for the shirt, Main Street Logo, is getting so many requests from people interested in purchasing the shirts, they’re taking advantage of the opportunity and making the sales.

So them whining brings even more attention to it… as usual.

Talk about taking a crap in their own oatmeal.

Keep whining, fundies. Spread the message of rationality further! 🙂
b

“I was disappointed with the image on the shirt.” Melby said. “I don’t think evolution should be associated with our school.”

That about says it all right there.
Richard Wade

Got one. This is fun.
mikespeir

What courage of conviction! At least till it becomes profitable otherwise.
Jerad

I’m considering seeing about getting them to design a shirt for my local atheist group, just to piss off the fundies even more!
Vas

“[Assistant Superintendent Brad] Pollitt said the district is required by law to remain neutral where religion is concerned.”

WTF?!? really? So denying science based on religious beliefs is remaining neutral? How on earth is evolution a religious issue anyway? Is it because some xtians disagree with it? So anything xtians disagree with is required to be banned from all schools in the district? WTF?!? that’s just crazy talk.
V
Jim

I share the same sentiment as Vas.

It was crap then, it’s crap now.

Next thing you know, we’ll have to remove the teachings that the earth is round and not flat. Lets not forget that the Earth is the center of the universe and all things revolve around it.

They’re just as guilty of brainwashing the kids of religion simply by the exclusion of science. That’s not education, that’s a travesty of knowledge and a failure of intelligence.

By that same attitude, you almost wonder if there isn’t something a bit wrong with how that school is run. Brings up the question of just how long are the fingers of religion into that school. One would wonder if the teachers aren’t teaching the kids about christianity in the classroom regardless of the law.
Ian

Doesn’t that logo and design belong to the school – and hence any profits (or even the ability to sell the shirt) belong to the school board? If they didn’t ask permission, this is an unfair use of someone else’s work (most print shops don’t do their own design work), and I’d be against their printing.
Chronosnight

If I remember right all of the kids were made to give back their shirts, after the wack-job parents protested. The kids designed the shirts themselves, I think it would be great if we could get the company that made the shirts to send one back to the kids that worked hard to design them (obviously not to the kids who’s parents object) Maybe if the company wont pay for it, some of us could? I would if I knew it was going to one of the original kids!
B time

this all so d@mn crazy just get over the d@mn t shirt already cuz thats all it is.maybe their parents should relize what there children(s) are doing all night and the weekends and not about there (school) tshirts….im going to buy one and putt on the back of it maybe i should protest over the fact parents shouldnt take their children go to church untill they get old enough to make their own decisions!