A teacher has been suspended from one of the country’s best grammar schools for alleged Islamophobia after he used a coffee cup with a picture of Prophet Muhammad.
The teacher, who has not been named, worked at Colchester Royal Grammar School, in Essex, which was recently ranked the ninth-best selective school in the UK by the Sunday Times.
The school, which had more students offered Oxbridge places than any grammar school in the UK last year, has also faced accusations of a "toxic rape culture" from a former pupil.
He was suspended for alleged Islamophobia after he was pictured in the school playground holding a mug that appeared to show cartoon drawings of Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammad.
In speech bubbles, the Jesus figure appeared to be saying “Hey” with the Prophet Muhammad responding “How ya doing?”
Reports have said that the drawing is the work of the British author who works under the pseudonym Mohammad Jones, who has created satirical work showing Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad.
Bosses of the school said that “robust action” would be taken against the teacher if needed.
For many Muslims, depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are forbidden as they are considered highly offensive.
A teacher at Batley Grammar School in Yorkshire was temporarily suspended last March for showing an image of the figure during a religious studies lesson, which sparked protests outside the school gates.
A Colchester Royal Grammar School spokesman said: “We have been notified an image has been shared online of an individual appearing to use a cup that has an offensive image on it.
“At this time we are looking into the matter.
“While we cannot comment on individuals, this will be reviewed in line with our policies and procedures and the appropriate robust action taken as necessary.”
The school, which counts around 1,000 pupils, was slammed as “inadequate” by Ofsted last year after it found out children were subjected to sexist and racist comments.
But inspectors found in a monitoring visit in February that leaders were taking "effective action".
