Remember how that Fox News lady assured kids that Santa is white? This is worse, I’d say:

A suburban Albuquerque teacher who told a black student that Santa Claus is white has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Rio Rancho school district spokeswoman Kim Vesely confirmed on Tuesday that the teacher is out of the classroom while the incident is being investigated.

The teacher’s comments came after students at Cleveland High School were told they could come to class dressed as Santa, an elf or a reindeer.

Michael Rougier says when his ninth-grade son, Christopher, arrived with a Santa hat and beard, the teacher asked, “Don’t you know Santa Claus is white? Why are you wearing that?”

The incident happened the same week that Fox News Channel’s Megyn Kelly said both Santa Claus and Jesus were white.

It’s one thing to shout “Santa is white” into the void on a TV show few people really think is “news” anymore. It’s something else entirely to say it to a kid standing right in front of you and dressed as Santa. WTH, people?

Photo credit: Black Santa and Presents by soulchristmas [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr.

Via Talking Points Memo:

Forty two percent of Republicans believe Santa Claus is not just white but “verifiably white,” while 23 percent said he is not, according to the poll. Only 24 percent of Democrats, on the other hand, said he was “verifiably white” while 48 percent said he is not.

I have two thoughts on this.

First, I guess there is some truth to the notion that “both sides do it,” at least when applied to naïve stupidity. Republicans are still much better at it.

Second, I urge those 42% of Republicans (and the 24% of a Democrats because why not?) to put their money where their mouths are and verify that Santa is white.

I don’t care if you have to travel by one of those icebreaker ships, a dogsled, or on the back of a polar bear somehow, but get your asses to the North Pole and show us the Claus.

Seriously, pics or GTFO.