[KiwiHopeful]

I agree, MB. In the US we refer to this as 'manufactured outrage.' Some 'journalists' get a kick out of these 1/2 true stories that make people talk about the 'good old days' and how 'political correctness' has gotten out of hand.

As for the pervs, as a teacher I can tell you that there's a double-edged sword when it comes to liability. Without a doubt we want to protect children. One perv in a Santa suit, or in a class room, is one perv too many. The flip side of the issue, though, is that mere allegations of sexual abuse (substantiated or not) can ruin lives.

The sad thing is, I've seen several cases of inappropriate relationships between students and teachers, and several cases of alleged inappropriate relationships between students and teachers, and can tell you that (at least in US public schools) you're less likely to have problems if it's true than if it isn't. Guilty people always have a plan and spent a lot of time making sure their victim isn't going to say anything to anyone about their 'special' relationship. It's the poor sod who put his (or her) arm around a crying kid who always finds himself (or herself) explaining their actions to their boss, the police, a lawyer.

Wait, weren't we talking about Christmas?