BATON ROUGE, La. (CBS Houston) – Louisiana State University is getting sacked for airbrushing the Christian cross out of a photo that was painted on by students for a football game against South Carolina.

The Daily Reveille reports that the university photo shopped out the crosses worn by “The Party Posse” – a group of students who paint their bodies LSU’s purple and yellow colors while including a cross around their shoulders – because they didn’t want to offend anyone.

“Those crosses were airbrushed out,” Associate Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Senior Associate Athletics Director Herb Vincent told the Reveille. “We don’t want to convey any religious or political message.”

The posse, who includes Joel D’Aubin, Ben Wallace, Cameron Cooke and A.J. Fagan, came across the edited photo in a mass email sent out by the LSU athletics department.

“I was a bit surprised, because our pictures get used so frequently, and the cross had never been edited before,” Cooke told Campus Reform. “The cross painting is important to me because it represents who I am as a Christ follower and it reminds me who I need to act like in Death Valley.”

Vincent tells the Reveille that LSU can do whatever it wants with pictures the university takes.

Supporters of “The Party Posse” have taken to Facebook to voice their displeasure with LSU.

“Shame on LSU for doing that!” Stewart Montross posted. “Go Posse!”

Tricia Shanley Nobis said: “God never sleeps. He sees your crosses. Keep wearing them!”

Vincet says they will look to avoid using these type of photos in the future.

LSU is currently ranked sixth in the BCS standings.