A gay-rights group in Dallas is protesting against the sentence given to a HIV-positive man for spitting on a police officer.

Willie Campbell, 42, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Wednesday for spitting in the mouth and eye of the officer and then taunting him.

The decision was much criticized by organizations and public health officials, who said the risk of contracting the AIDS virus from saliva was extremely low.

As the jury decided the Campbell’s spit was like a deadly weapon, he won’t be eligible for parole until he’s served half his sentence.

Back in 2006, Campbell spat in the face of Officer Dan Waller, who was arresting him for public intoxication, and also spat at two other officers. None of the officers contracted HIV and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as many doctors, insist that no one has ever contracted the virus from spit.

That is why many AIDS advocacy groups think that Campbell’s sentence was excessive. They think the jury’s decision might cause even more misconceptions about the way HIV is transmitted.

The CDC noted that HIV was usually spread through sexual contact and exchange of blood, while “contact with saliva, tears or sweat has never been shown to result in transmission of H.I.V.”

Lambda Legal, which advocates for people living with the virus, says it is regrettable that there is still so much ignorance about HIV and how it is transmitted.