Batley school protests: Probe into Prophet Muhammad row

A school where a teacher showed pupils a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad is to be the subject of an independent probe, the trust which runs it has announced.

Protests were held at Batley Grammar School in West Yorkshire after the image was used in a lesson on 22 March.

A staff member was later suspended after complaints were made.

In a statement, Batley Multi Academy Trust said the investigation would review how "the materials [which caused offence] were used".

The statement from the trust also said the investigation into the use of the image depicting the founder of Islam "would make recommendations in relation to the Religious Studies curriculum".

An independent panel would be appointed to start work on 12 April, with any outcomes expected by the end of May, it added.

The trust runs five schools in West Yorkshire.

The school's head teacher Gary Kibble previously apologised "unequivocally" for the caricature being shown, adding that the member of staff had "given their most sincere apologies" and been suspended pending an investigation.

Demonstrators gathered outside the school on Thursday and Friday.

Some had demanded the teacher's sacking and accused the school of failing to take the issue seriously.

One of the protesters, a local resident who gave his name as Abdullah and who said he was not a parent but had relatives at the school, said the cartoon had offended "the whole Muslim community".

A petition has been set up calling for the school to reinstate the teacher.

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