Man dressed as Grinch tells Texas elementary school children ‘Santa is fake’

DALLAS — A grinch tried to deliver a Christmas message to some Texas elementary school children.

On Monday morning, a man dressed as the Grinch stood outside Sleepy Hollow Elementary in Amarillo with a sign that read: “Santa is Fake. Jesus is Real,” according to KVII-TV in Amarillo.

Parents and school administrators were not pleased, the news station reported. One dad grabbed the man’s sign and threw it on the ground, the news station reported. Another told the ABC affiliate the man, who goes by David Grisham when not wearing a furry green costume, should not be “pushing his agenda” on people’s children.

Grisham appeared unfazed by the response from parents, calling them liars for perpetuating the belief in Santa Claus.

“I understand why they’re upset,” Grisham told the station, about the parents. “They’re upset because they’re prideful and don’t want to admit that lying to their child is wrong in spite of what God’s word says. They’re more concerned with the traditions of men rather than the truth. And they double down on the lie because of pride and they are angry because they want to blame the person telling the truth than the one who told the lie that prompted the truth to expose the lie. They don’t want to be seen as a liar in the eyes of their child. But the facts say they are.”

Police were called to the school, but because Grisham was standing on a public sidewalk, police could not remove or arrest him.

The report sparked conversation on social media about whether Christians should participate in the idea of Santa. A Baptist church in Virginia posted the article, imploring parents not to lie to their children. But one woman posted on Facebook that children should be allowed to believe in the magic of Saint Nick.

“Your child will find out soon enough that Santa is not real, until then, you as the parent are Santa and make the magic happen for these babies,” the woman wrote.

In a video message, Sleepy Hollow Principal Kelsey Williams said the Grinch was not welcome and not invited, adding that she was sad that some children and families were scared.

“The Grinch has officially made his way back to Mount Crumpit,” school Principal Kelsey Williams said in a video message. “And not a minute too soon, if you ask me.”