Laura Coppinger

Small-Town Small-Mindedness

While St. Charles, MO, may not technically be a small town, this is an image they like to project, especially when it comes to their yearly, old-fashioned Christmas Traditions festival. The small-mindedness their mayor and city council have shown in regards to the “Sugar Plum Fairy incident” certainly do provide evidence that they are smaller (at least in brain power) than people think.

First of all, the code of conduct is ridiculous. “Christmas characters don’t know naughty words?!?” Everyone knows naughty words. Yes, common sense tells us that there is a time and a place to use them, (if we must–I know I do occasionally), but sometimes, in a moment of frustration, one slips out despite our best intentions. And Laura Coppinger wasn’t even in character when she was at the drug-testing facility, she was just a prospective employee.

Second of all, people who think she’s somehow setting a bad example for children, or reflecting poorly on the city of St. Charles or the Christmas Traditions festival are crazy enough that I think they should be going in for a drug test! They do realize, I assume, that no one would have known that any “naughty words” had been used if they hadn’t made such a big deal out of it? My children certainly wouldn’t have known a profanity had been uttered, and neither would I, (not that I particularly care). But the city had to blow the whole situation out of proportion and make it into something news-worthy, just drawing attention to a momentary lapse in judgement, (on the part of Laura Coppinger), and their own asininity. USA Today even picked up the story–way to make your town look like a bunch of fools!

I had hoped that cooler heads would prevail; that the city would realize that they could accept the actress’s apology, re-hire her, and move on. Apparently, however, they are unable to show the same grace and humility she has shown throughout this ordeal, and instead only defended their dubious decision. While Laura has truly embodied the traits of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the city of St. Charles seems to only take its lessons on Christmas spirit and graciousness from Ebenezer Scrooge! While our family will still support the merchants and the Christmas Traditions festival this year, the experience just won’t be the same for any of us.

Who Fires the Sugar Plum Fairy?

This story is just unbelievable to me. Unless what the “Sugar Plum Fairy” did is wildly different from what was reported in the newspaper, I think it’s a wild overreaction, and gross abuse of power on the part of the city of St. Charles. Laura Coppinger has truly given a voice and a personality to a character in a story who never actually utters a word, and she completely embodies the spirit of the Sugar Plum Fairy. I speak from experience–we’ve been enjoying her performances for many years!

If she was cursing in costume in front of children? Sure, a reprimand is in order. But at a drug-testing facility, off the clock, with no costume? Give me a break. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s a good thing no one’s keeping track of when I use foul language when I’m upset with myself. I’d also really like to know what employee got their panties in a bunch and reported her–again, a gross abuse of power.

I hope the city of St. Charles rethinks this decision. If they don’t, I know two little girls who will be heartbroken if they don’t get to see their favorite Christmas character!

This is a story about how the Sugar Plum Fairy got fired.

Laura Coppinger played the holiday sprite for six years during the Christmas Traditions festival in St. Charles. By all accounts, the 29-year-old was a popular character at the monthlong festival along historic Main Street.

“The spin that I gave to her was that I was a fairy on a sugar high,” she said. “I was really loud and really over the top, and that’s probably why I was the Pied Piper of children,”

Her trouble started with a drug test. Festival hiring came under the control of the city of St. Charles this year, and all city employees are required to take the test. Coppinger was told to report to a local testing facility to give a urine sample.

After she filled the cup she accidentally flushed the toilet, a no-no. Apparently, some people try to dilute their samples with the incoming water.

“I don’t have to take drug tests too often,” she said, ‘so out of habit I flushed the toilet, and as soon as I did it I was like, oh, no.”

Coppinger said the woman working at the facility dumped her sample and told her she would have to go back to the waiting room until she could supply another one.

Coppinger, who also works as a substitute teacher in the St. Louis Public Schools, said that meant she was going to miss a job interview.

“Out of frustration with myself and frustration with the fact that I was going to have to sit another hour, I cursed,” she said.

Coppinger said she didn’t direct her words at anyone, but she was visibly angry, and she stomped back to the waiting room and started slurping down soda and water. A short time later, the woman working the counter told her that she should go home.

“I asked her why and she said, ‘I think you should call St. Charles HR about that,’ ” Coppinger said.

When she called the city, special events coordinator Karen Godfrey told her she had broken the Christmas Traditions code of conduct, specifically a section titled: “Christmas Characters Don’t Know Naughty Words.”

via St. Charles festival clips Sugar Plum Fairy’s wings after she violates anti-cursing rule.