Rockland County Teacher Accused Of Spoiling Santa For Young Students

NANUET, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- As Christmas approaches and children look forward to the big day, there's a teacher in Rockland County who took it upon herself to deal with the issue of Santa Claus.

LISTEN: 1010 WINS' Al Jones reports

Now it's become a controversy, reports CBS 2's John Slattery.

The belief in Santa has gone on for hundreds of years, bestowing presents that magically appear after a late night visit from a kindly old soul.

But the belief was apparently bruised a bit at George Miller Elementary School.

The word around here is that in a second grade class, when speaking of the North Pole, a very confused teacher said something about Santa.

"That she said there was no Santa," one parent said.

Not only did she say there was no Santa, but that parents have a hand in the presents.

"It's probably bad judgment, yeah," another parent said.

Irene Hoffman has three children in the school.

"Unfortunate, very unfortunate. I think it's sad," Hoffman said.

So devastating was the gaff, the school principal would not discuss it, nor would her superintendent. But parents at a nearby mall would.

"That's horrible. That's so untrue and it's horrible," Donna Murphy said.

The whole Santa thing was pretty much laid to rest more than a hundred years ago by a New York City newspaper. In answer to an inquisitive 8-year-old who posed the question in 1897, an editor famously wrote on the front page, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Your little friends are wrong."

A mother of a third grader made her feelings known Thursday as well.

"Oh, I would be so upset if that happened with my son," Patrice Pickering said.

So, don we now our gay apparel, knowing for certain that Santa's visit is just weeks away. And  Santa, if you're listening, Slattery is still looking for that Porsche.

With no comment form the superintendent, there's no word on whether the teacher has been offered some guidance on what to say to next year's class.

Do you think the teacher acted inappropriately? Sound off in our comments section below...