ST. STEPHEN, S.C. - A Berkeley County principal is being criticized for separating children at her elementary school by race when she brought in two Santas to take pictures with the kids.

White students took pictures with a white Santa and black children took pictures with a black Santa.

“It was just an opportunity for my kids to be exposed to a Santa who looks like them,” Principal Willa Norton, who is black, told The Post and Courier of Charleston. “I just want my kids to know that everyone can do all kinds of things.”

About three-quarters of the students at St. Stephen Elementary School are black.

The primary criticism from some parents and two civil rights organizations is that Norton didn’t tell parents there would be two Santas.

Parent Marguerite Lyons said there should have been just one Santa.

“I don’t care if (Santa) was Chinese or Puerto Rican,” said Lyons, who is black. “Everyone’s the same.”

Victoria Middleton, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina, said the school might have had the best intentions but, “We would question whether separating the children by race was really a good idea.”

Berkeley County School District spokeswoman Pam Bailey said the district thinks the principal had good intentions.

“Unfortunately, it was not communicated to the parents that there would be multiple Santas,” Bailey said. “It’s a lesson learned.”

Norton said she plans to do things differently next year and parents will be informed about whatever the school is planning to do.

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