Fight over gay fairy tale starts new chapter
All is not happily ever after just yet for an Orange County teacher that has twice fended off protests from parents over a gay fairy tale he read in class.
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Three parents complained after Efland-Cheeks Elementary School teacher Omar Currie read "King & King" to his third-graders. They said the book was inappropriate for children that age, and at least one said parents should have been notified in advance.
The children's book is about a homosexual man's quest for love and includes a picture at the end of two princes kissing.
Efland-Cheeks Elementary officials upheld the book in April after the initial complaint, and then again ruled last month that the book was appropriate after fielding questions from angry parents during a community meeting.
The parents have now appealed the matter to Orange County Schools officials, where the process will repeat itself. A district committee will evaluate the book in light of curriculum goals, and another public meeting will be held before the superintendent issues findings.
The matter could still be appealed to the Orange County Board of Education after the superintendent makes a decision.
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