In Nanuet, New York, parents are irate after a second-grade teacher reportedly told her 7-year-old students that there is no Santa and that their parents leave the presents under the tree. In Chicago, the FOX Chicago news anchor Robin Robinson decided to make the case to a bigger audience and proclaimed on the news show that Santa was not real and parents should tell their kids that the presents come from them.
The New York comment was made by a teacher in her geography class at the George W. Miller Elementary School. She was apparently put out because students identified the North Pole as the home of Santa.
District Superintendent Mark McNeill released a brief statement stating “This matter is being addressed internally.” He seems unaware of the naughty and nice list, which is assembled outside of the school and has no administrative appellate remedy regardless of any controlling teacher union grievance procedure.
Over in my hometown of Chicago, Robinson was holding forth in a similar fashion:
“Stop trying to convince your kids that Santa is Santa.That’s why they have these high expectations. They know you can’t afford it, so what do they do? Just ask some man in a red suit. There is no Santa.”
This could be a new series “When Fox Anchors Attack!” for the network.
Parents speak of the emotional distress caused by these disclosures but there is really no legal remedy. It is not consider sufficiently outrageous and severe to be the basis of intentional or negligent emotional distress. As for straight negligence, the injury is too speculative since the same information generally is conveyed within a few years to the pool of injured parties. There are certain problems in life that, while emotionally harmful, are matters left best to adults to hash out. That only leaves the “list” and the visit by the fat man.
Here is the video of Robin Robinson. Do you think this should be actionable in some way?
Source: USA Today
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and when he does come…it’s down the chimney.
Metro,
Most people would not want Santa as a mate….he only comes once a year….
heck, I’m 65 years old and I still believe in Santa. Jesus, his angels and saints, Not so much.
I liked the first part of the clip. Notice how her co-anchor looked seriously nervous. Epic. Then when the network threatened her she had to go on air and say, “I’m sorry….” In an age when retail stores have to say Happy Holidays they are still protecting Santa. Does anyone see the hilarious irony in that except me? :oD The almighty dollar denounces religion but is NOT going to give up Santa! No way, amigo. Santa makes people shop like crazy! For that holiday that is supposed to be about that other fairy tale that doesn’t make us that much money. :oP
MASkeptic… good point.
Bart,
Ah, but first they would have to admit that they are lying to themselves.
Wow, these kids are 7-8 years old and the parents still believe that their kids have no idea Santa isn’t real.
Not that the teacher and reporters aren’t assholes, but this is right at the age when kids figure it out anyway.
Well, it’s a good start.
Now, if they’d just tell the kids that not only did their parents lie to them about Santa, the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny – but also Jesus, God, Allah, the Devil, angels, demons, and all the other mindless idiocy parents foister on their kids maybe the planet would be less hostile and more intellectually focused.
Say it ain’t so Santa!
WTF? Next thing you know somebody is going to claim the Flying Spaghetti Monster is not real.
Civil War on Christmas?
Santa isn’t real?? Damn!
Faux has no trouble promoting fairy tales like global warming denial. They seem to be very unfair to Santa believers.
Kids have few enough fantasies to believe in and sooner or later they know the easter bunny, santa, the tooth fairy are not real. Let Mom and Dad break the news (or the mean kid down the street). It is not up to Fox, Interesting the fake they point out unless it is their fakery of the news.
Santa, Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny teach kids an important life lesson. Just at the time when they are out on their own and learning to be a member of a larger group. When the truth comes out you learn the fact that people, including those you trust the most, will group together and conspire to deceive you. You have three real life examples of how they did it to you for your entire life. The point made is, don’t blindly trust the group. You’ll also notice that each lie was easy to believe because you really wanted the candy, money and gifts that rewarded you for your belief. Beware of myths bearing gifts!
Frankly,
Good points….
As a proponent of Intelligent Gifting I believe schools should teach the controversy!
IG teaches us that there has to be a source for those gifts and science does not have all the answers. This has nothing to do with Santa.
The truth is what you want to believe…regardless if facts point to the contrary…