Parents Outraged After Substitute Teacher Tells Class Santa Isn't Real

The “magic” of the holidays is part of what makes the season so special. And of course every parent wants to keep that magic alive for as long as possible. So when a first grade substitute teacher at Cedar Hill School in New Jersey made the executive decision to spill the beans on Santa, parents were pissed.

Take Lisa Simek, for example, who says she has been doing damage control since the incident occured. The angry mama took to Facebook to share the story and how the school community is pulling together to keep the spirit of Santa alive.

“A substitute teacher asked the kids which holiday was coming up, and when somebody answered ‘Christmas,’ she proceeded to just completely unleash on them,” the mother explains.

It only went downhill from there.

“She told them Santa isn’t real and parents just buy presents and put them under their tree,” Simek says. “She told them reindeer can’t fly and elves are not real—Elf on the Shelf is just a pretend doll that your parents move around.”

It gets worse. The teacher went on to list other magical friends—the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny—and served the first graders with an unnecessary dose of reality.

“She told them magic does not exist [and] there is no such thing as magic anything,” the mom shares. “A grown woman tried to crush our 6-year-old’s spirit, along with the spirits of the other 22 kids in Cedar Hill School’s first grade class.”

And while she, along with many other parents, are in the midst of major damage control, she fears the “seed that was planted deep inside of their skeptical, perceptive and inquisitive minds” may already be too big.

Luckily the school community has taken the issue seriously and is dedicated to expelling the sub’s lesson. Immediately following the teacher’s tell-all, principal Michael Raj sent a letter home to parents warning them about the day’s events, Patch reports.

“I am troubled and disheartened by this incident. The childhood wonder associated with all holidays and traditions is something I personally hold near and dear in my own heart,” says Raj.

And since the dreaded day, Simek has updated her post to share how hard the community is working to save the magic of the holidays for the young students.

“As a result of this going viral, Mrs. Casey Daniel, an English teacher at Toms River High-East High School in Toms River, and her journalism class have volunteered to write the children of our class individual, personalized, whimsical letters from the North Pole as a part of their creative writing holiday project.”

As for her thoughts on the substitute teacher, the mom is willing to turn the other cheek, and hopes others can do the same.

“Please no negative comments about the substitute. We don’t know her situation and perspective, and no matter how unfortunate a situation, we must all learn from this that Christmas magic is real and shown through acts of kindness, love, positivity and grace for/from loved ones as well as strangers.”

Whether you’re a parent that goes all in on the Santa shenanigans or prefer to be as transparent as possible, it’s ultimately a decision for only mom and dad to make.

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