School Caves to Fundie Outrage over Evolution T-Shirts

School officials at Smith-Cotton High in Sedalia, Missouri, have given into the demands of a few ignorant parents and forbidden the marching band from wearing t-shirts that depict the "Evolution of Brass."  The pale gray shirts, which were intended to promote the band’s fall program, feature the image of a monkey progressing through evolutionary stages and emerging as a man.  Each figure in the design clutches a brass musical instrument.  It's a reasonably cool illustration - but anathema to anti-science Christianists who believe that Darwin is the Devil.

From the Sedalia Democrat:  The band debuted the T-shirts when it marched in the Missouri State Fair parade.  [Band Director Gordon] Summers said he was surprised when he received a direct complaint after the parade.  While the shirts don’t directly violate the district’s dress code, Assistant Superintendent Brad Pollitt said complaints by parents made him take action.  "I made the decision to have the band members turn the shirts in after several concerned parents brought the shirts to my attention,” Pollitt said.  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.  (Except that evolution is NOT religion.  It is science.  And it's still being taught in public schools, at least until the Prayer Posse get their way.) ...Parent Alena Hoeffling said she is infuriated with administration’s decision to pull the attire.  "Whatever happened to the separation of church and state," she said.  (That particular concept is becoming extinct.  Sadly.)  Summers said a new T-shirt is currently in the design stages, but declined to comment on the image.  "It has to be approved first," he said. 

They should just bypass the school board and take the new design directly to those knuckledraggers who complained.  Their opinion is apparently all that matters.

Comments

[Bee Girl]

It's a shame the school district crumbled under pressure from Xstian conservatives... and it sends a bad message to the students.

[Ed Darrell]

Clear dereliction of duty by the school superintendent. It's a violation of the First Amendment on the part of the guy. I suppose it's small risk that any parent will have the guts to sue in a town where they probably lynch Methodists, Catholics and Mormons, but you gotta wonder what the district's lawyer gasped when he heard about this. How many millions does the district have socked away for lawsuits?

[Phil]

Dear Christians,

Please keep your religious beliefs out of my school.

Sincerely, Every Student That Hasn't Been Brainwashed

[Jocelyn the French hornist]

My sympathy, musical brothers and sisters. Next time, try a horn as the terminal instrument. Perhaps the cranky fundamentalists would understand then?