Political T-shirts in Spotlight After Students Receive Tees From Controversial Former Faculty Member

A Tennessee high school is in some hot water after T-shirts promoting a former faculty member-turned state representative were placed on a table in the school. Rep. David Byrd had been the basketball coach at Wayne County High School in Waynesboro, Tenn., and has been accused by three of his former students of sexual misconduct when they were members of the team, according to WSMV. The T-shirts were actually left over from a class trip to the Tennessee State Capitol last year, when Byrd donated them to the school for all seniors to wear on the trip.

Michael Davis, the director of Hardin County schools said that in the future, the district would not allow political T-shirts boosting Byrd to be passed out to students, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said in an interview that Byrd needs to "answer for those allegations."

Another school has given out the controversial T-shirts provided by embattled state Rep. David Byrd, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by three of his former players. https://t.co/RVpHmOFvW8

— WSMV 4 Nashville (@WSMV) May 25, 2019

"I feel like it's really, really, really inappropriate," Kristina Richardson, whose daughter attends Hardin County High School, told WSMV.

Davis said in an email that he wasn't aware of the shirts being released, but later found out they were placed on a table in the cafeteria for anyone who wanted them.

"After further discussion on this matter, it has been determined that this won't be an option moving forward," he said.

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