A man who dressed as the Grinch took away ‘Christmas magic’ as he stood outside an elementary school with a signing reading ‘Santa is fake…Jesus is real.’
The man, who identified himself as David Harold Grisham, set up outside the kindergarten entrance of Osuna Elementary School in New Mexico Monday morning.
Grisham, 63, who is part of a group called street preachers, is said to have spent up to 45 minutes outside the school, walking up and down the sidewalk.
His actions upset parents, who accused him of trying to ruin Christmas for the young and impressionable children. He was confronted by one angry person who took down his sign and ripped it up.
‘To do that in front of little kids and try to destroy their wonder, destroy the magic of Christmas, it makes me it makes my blood boil,’ mother Hannah Dalton told KRQE television station.
A man dressed as the Grinch turned up to an elementary school in New Mexico with a sign to tell the children that Santa is not real
The man, who identified himself as David Harold Grisham, set up outside the kindergarten entrance of Osuna Elementary School on Monday morning with the message
His actions upset parents at the school who accused him of trying to ruin Christmas and he was confronted by one angry person who took down his sign and ripped it up
Grisham pulled a similar stunt outside Sleepy Hollow Elementary School in Amarillo, Texas, two weeks ago.
Video of the New Mexico incident shows parents confronting Grisham. One person grabbed his sign from behind and told him: ‘Get this s*** out of here.’
But the person with Grisham, who is recording, tells him ‘don’t touch our stuff.’
The angry parent replies: ‘F*** you bro, get out of here,’ before he rips up the sign and throws it to the ground.
A police officer intervenes to deescalate the situation and he tells her: ‘This is a disturbance. He is f****** with our kids.’
The cop then informs him that Grisham is on public property and there’s nothing they can do.
But the man confronts him again and shouts: ‘Get the f*** out of here.’
In another clip, Grisham was asked if there was a better way to spread the message than outside an elementary school.
‘This is a great way, trust me,’ Grisham responds, adding: ‘Jesus said go into all the world including elementary and preach the gospel to every preacher.’
Others ask the man why and he says: ‘Well if you believe that then you should go do it yourself.’
Grisham held up a sign which read: ‘Santa is fake…Jesus is real’ while dressed as the beloved Dr. Seuss character and greeted the students as they entered the building
Video of the New Mexico incident shows parents confronting Grisham. One person grabbed his sign from behind and told him: ‘Get this s*** out of here’
Grisham, 63, who is part of a group called street preachers, is said to have spent up to 45 minutes outside the school, walking up and down the sidewalk trying to spread the message
‘To do that in front of little kids and try to destroy their wonder, destroy the magic of Christmas, it makes me it makes my blood boil,’ mother Hannah Dalton told KRQE television station
Nancy Molina added: ‘It kind of made me mad, like, you have nothing better to do than get up at 7.30am in the morning and post in front of a kindergarten?’
Parent Nancy Molina said: ‘It kind of made me mad, like, you have nothing better to do than get up at 7.30am in the morning and post in front of a kindergarten?’
‘I have a kindergartener and she’s very excited about Christmas time and Santa,’ Molina said.
The school sent a letter to parents about the incident and explained the district and school police could not take action because the protestor was on the public sidewalk.
Students were later directed away from the man dressed as the Grinch and to an alternative entrance.
‘I am writing to inform you about an unfortunate incident that played out in front of our school as students and families were arriving this morning,’ Principal Hanna Myers wrote.
‘An individual wearing a ‘Grinch’ costume and carrying a sign with a religious statement paraded in front of our campus telling students and families that Santa is fake.
‘The protest witnessed outside our school today is part of a nationwide movement. While I respect freedom of speech and religion, I am saddened that some individuals think it’s okay to elevate their beliefs by taunting children.
‘No public display that frightens or traumatizes our students, staff, or members of the community is acceptable. I have reassured our students and staff that our campus is safe.’
Grisham pulled the same stunt outside Sleepy Hollow Elementary School in Amarillo, Texas, two weeks ago
Grisham is known locally around Amarillo, Texas, for his ultra-religious protests that he organizes as part of a group called ‘the street preachers’
Grisham – now retired – has organized many demonstrations as an ‘official street preacher’
Grisham posted a picture from New Mexico with the sign on Facebook and wrote: ‘If I had stood outside this school with a sign that said Santa was Real and Jesus was Fake there would not have been an uproar like there was.
‘People who call themselves Christians will go to using violence to defend a non existent Santa but won’t lift a finger to defend the world attacking Jesus. Let that sink in.’
Grisham is known locally for being a nuisance in his hometown of Lone Star and other areas around Amarillo, Texas.
The self-proclaimed ‘street preacher’ said his holiday mission this year is to ‘shame Santa.’
He has insisted other Grinches would head out on to the street to preach the same message as him.
Grisham defended his actions and told DailyMail.com: ‘I wear the costume because it’s less scary to children while giving them the message that Santa is Fake and Jesus is Real.
‘Some of the kids in California even asked to take pictures with me. It’s the angry overreaction of parents that frightens them.
‘I’m tired of Santa usurping the glory of Christ at Christmas.’