Youll Never Believe Where Atheists Are Banning From Sitting On Santas Lap Recently, a child protection activist called for a ban on allowing children to sit on the laps of shopping mall Santas during the holiday season The issue started on social media and has elevated to a demand for a change in policy. Shopping centers have duty of care to protect children on premises, claims Australian activist Hetty Johnston. We teach kids its ok to say no if they dont feel safe. This means not having to sit on anyones lap, including family members, if they dont want to. Johnston and a group of other mothers are calling for a change in the procedure of mall Santa visits. What we would like to see is shopping center owners updating their child protection policies, Johnston claims. The directive would be for children to stand beside Santa, unless parents or children request to sit on his knee. I understand where the fear is coming from but the idea that Santa should be lumped in with everyone else is extreme, claims Mark Overell, who has played Santa in malls for nearly two decades, and no serves as a trainer. Our Santas are trained to do everything by the book. The hands with white gloves are only allowed on the childrens shoulder or around the tummy, nowhere else. We are very proud of how we conducted ourselves over the years and have had very few complaints. What do you think of the proposed policy? 