ST. JOSEPH, Mich. – There is outrage among some parents after a substitute teacher in St. Joseph "revealed too much information" about Santa Claus with a class of second-graders.
Some of the 7 and 8-year-old kids went home with tears in their eyes and questions on their mind after the sub raised questions about Santa.
Brown Elementary School officials are saying that teacher is no longer welcome in their school and some parents worry Christmas may be ruined.
Principal Craig Hubble immediately sent an email out to all the parents in the school saying he was, "sickened by what happened," and to warn them that kids may come home with questions. Hubble also wrote in the email that, "I strongly believe this person has no place around children."
This was that substitute teacher's first time at Brown Elementary and Hubble said it will definitely be her last. He reported her to the company that arranges for the school's subs.
Brown parents were shocked to hear about what the teacher had said.
"It's not her place to do that,” said Shannon Bell, who has a first-grader in the school. “All I could think of was, she's killing these kids dreams. And I know some parents their kids cried about it and passed it on to their siblings."
Other teachers WSBT talked to said it's their policy to accept all beliefs and not try to influence one or the other. Hubble agrees, "People within their own homes have a right to believe whatever they want. It's not our job to say how anyone should believe."
Now many parents are left with the uncomfortable job of explaining this all to their kids.
Bell said, "I would go the "Polar Express" route...she doesn't believe, but it's your choice to believe and no one can take that away from you."
