DELTONA, Fla. – Parents at Heritage Middle School and Deltona are balking at a school assignment they believe usurps their authority to discuss their beliefs about evolution with their kids.

Several parents complained to the Volusia County School District and media recently about an eighth-grade assignment called “Not Just a Theory” that was given to students to learn the difference between scientific theory and scientific law, News 6 reports.

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“Next time someone tries to tell you that evolution is just a theory, as a way of dismissing it, as if it’s just something someone guessed at, remember that they’re using the non-scientific meaning of the word,” according to a picture of the assignment posted to Twitter by Volusia County Moms. “If that person is a teacher, or minister, or some other figure of authority, they should know better. In fact, they probably do, and are trying to mislead you.”

The last two line made “the hair on the back of my neck stand up,” parent Lisa McNeal told the news site.

“It does make me question what else they’re going to put in front of him for the rest of the year,” she said of her son.

“It’s not so much the evolution aspect of it, it’s just the way they phrased those last few sentences, how they were kind of taking the rights away from the parents,” said Jennifer Flinchum, another parent.

District officials told the media the assignment was developed and used by three science teachers at the school several years ago, and is not a district-mandated lesson, UPI reports.

Heritage principal Thomas Vaughn also sent a letter home to parents.

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“Recently in 8^th grade science an assignment titled ‘Not Just a Theory,’ was distributed in an attempt to address current science standards for differentiating scientific theory and scientific law. The reading does meet this criterion up until the last two sentences that state, ‘If that person is a teacher, or minister, or some other figure of authority, they should know better … In fact, they probably do, and are trying to mislead you,’” Vaughn wrote.

“Upon this coming to our knowledge, the lesson has been retracted. In fact, please know that we apologize for this resource being used and take comfort in knowing that it will not be used again. At no time is it our place to interfere with authorities of household beliefs,” he continued.

Flinchum was “feeling happy” about Vaughn’s response, according to a tweet Tuesday.

“’And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ Thank you Mr. Vaughn for hearing our concerns and doing your part to make it right,” she wrote, according to UPI.

The controversial lesson, of course, sparked a heated debate in the News 6 comments.

“It has been said many times that the truth hurts!” William I. Morris wrote.

“Evolution ties right in with God and Spirituality, it is only man with his illusion of duality that … attempts to separate the two,” Keith Silvas countered.

“After reading a fair amount of the comments on this story, I can’t help but to visualize Kathy Bates in Waterboy as Helen ‘Momma’ Boucher saying to Bobby Boucher (Adam Sandler): ‘Evolution is the DEVIL!” Marcus Fenix added.

Others were quick to point out other problems with the school lesson, which was broadcast along with the student’s hand-written comments.

“Forget all this science vs. religion mumbo jumbo concentrate on the real issue here. Look at the atrocious handwriting on the paper!” Zed wrote. “I know it’s Deltona but an eighth grader should have better penmanship than that. It’s practically illegible. The continued dumbing down of our society.”

“If I was the mother here, I would be more concerned about that example of my 8^th grade child’s hideous penmanship being displayed on TV for all to see,” birdlady420 posted.

“Seriously!” General Disarray added. “That’s an 8^th grader’s writing?”