Openly Gay Teacher Gives Lesson On Acceptance To Third Grade Class Using Homosexual Book, Parents Outraged

A third grade teacher at a North Carolina elementary school has sparked outrage over a book he read to his class. While most would see reading a book to third-graders as a common practice, there are many parents that are absolutely furious about it. But, why?

Apparently, parents felt the subject matter was too mature for a class of eight-year-old students, because the book, titled King and King, is a gay fable that touches on topics involving homosexuality. Unlike most fairy tales involving princes, princesses, kings, and queens, the controversial fairy tale tells the story of a prince marrying a prince.

According to News Observer, Omar Currie is an openly gay 25-year-old teacher at Efland-Cheeks Elementary School in Efland, North Carolina. Currie explained that he chose the book to teach the children a lesson on acceptance of others after two boys were embroiled in a verbal sparring match. One of the boys called another boy a “girl,” so Currie decided to address the issue.

However, his book of choice has sparked quite a debate. Many parents definitely aren’t pleased with the subject matter discussed in King and King. In fact, Currie admitted some of the children even expressed discomfort about the book.

“We talked about how the moral of the book was just you accept others the way they are,” Currie explained. “Some of the kids said the book made them feel a little uncomfortable, and I told them that was fine.”

When parents learned about the book, many were furious about the questionable content being presented to students at such a young age. Most parents also complained about not having the right to decide whether or not the book was suitable. Although Currie insists the book was read as part of a lesson on acceptance, many parents feel his approach was highly inappropriate.

“People have been gay for years. People have been lesbian for years,” Frederick McAdoo said. “But why (does) a third-grader needs to know about that?”

During a recent interview with ABC-11, the school’s principal Kiley Brown gave her take on the controversial book selection. While the assistant principal was reportedly made aware of the class reading, she was not. Principal Brown also agrees parents should have been given the opportunity to decide whether or not they feeling the book was appropriate for their child.

“We are dealing with this matter and following policy as best we can in light of the situation and I think this will be a huge learning experience for our staff and our community… I think that letting parents know and be key aspects of the educational process is huge.”

Currie has confirmed that he will be resigning at the end of this school year.

Do you feel King and King is an appropriate book for elementary school students? Share your thoughts.

[Image via Omar Currie / Wikimedia Commons]