Teacher, Assistant Principal Resign from Efland Cheeks

The third-grade teacher who read King and King to his classroom to solve a bullying problem at Efland Cheeks Elementary School has resigned.

Omar Currie told WCHL in mid-May, following the initial controversy over the fairy tale that depicts two princes getting married, that his intention was to resign at the end of the academic year.

“I chose to work at Efland because of the children,” he said. “For me, it’s about supporting the children. And it’s really difficult for me to be able to do that if I don’t have the support of my administration.”

Currie said at the time the administration had been split in their support of his decision to read the book.

“My Assistant Principal has been very supportive,” he said in mid-May. “My Principal, I feel like at first she seemed to be supportive, but as the time has gone on she really has sided with those parents who disagree with the fact that I read the book.”

Now Currie and the Assistant Principal, Meg Goodhand, have officially submitted their resignation paperwork, the school system confirmed late Monday.

He said he chose to use the book to solve a bullying issue he saw in the classroom. Currie added that since reading the fairy tale he had not seen any further bullying incidents.

Currie said in his previous interview that new proposals that parents be notified of all reading material being used in the class, and that they would have the option to opt out, were not founded.

“I happen to have the ESL [English as a Second Language] cluster this year, and a lot of my students come from families who are undocumented,” he said. “And I do not send home notices to families before I read books that reflect those children. And so I don’t see why it would be the case that I would send home a notice asking for permission before I reflected our community.

“People have made it out as if we don’t exist as gay individuals in our community. And that’s just not true.”

Matthew Roberts has had two sons go through Currie’s class, and he previously told WCHL the school system would be losing a wonderful educator.

“In my opinion they are losing a tremendous teacher,” says Roberts. “My concern is we may not even be able to convince him to stay and the district will lose a great teacher. He has worked wonders with my two boys.”

Opponents of the books use voiced concern their children were too young to be exposed to these ideas and it should happen at home rather than in the classroom.

A public hearing over the books usage became very heated.

“Tolerance is a one-way street,” said Rodney Davis at the hearing. “It doesn’t take an academic coach to figure out that the only bullying that’s going on in this school is by two teachers. You broke the policy. These are my children! These are not your children! Who gives you the right to tell me what they can listen to and what they can hear in our school? As a matter of fact, that is bullying me.”

The book has been reviewed by the school board multiple times and approved to be used again in the classroom each time.

Currie told WCHL that he intended on continuing his career as an educator in a different school system.