A teacher has been suspended from a top state high school after allegedly using a mug with a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad on it.
The teacher at Colchester Royal Grammar School (CRGS) in Essex is said to have taken the cup to the playground.
Last year, Ofsted found that students at the school were being subjected to sexist or racist comments.
The school said the matter would be reviewed and “appropriate robust action” would be taken if necessary.
The Ofsted Report found that the school’s leadership, behaviour, attitudes and personal development were inadequate.
The school, which last year offered more students Oxbridge places than any other high school in Britain, has also been accused of a “toxic culture of rape” by a former student.
However, a recent surveillance inspection, the first since the school was found to have serious weaknesses, found that the school’s management took effective action.
Parts of the Koran are understood in such a way that Muhammad cannot be captured in a picture by human hands, which is considered an insult.
Protests took place outside a school in Leeds last year after a cartoon depicting the founder of Islam was shown to pupils in a religion class.
The teacher was suspended, but an independent panel later concluded he could return to work.
Another teacher in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, was suspended after trying to portray the Prophet with a picture of terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden.
A spokesman for CRGS said: “We have been notified that an image has been shared online by an individual who appears to be using a mug with an objectionable image.
“We are currently investigating the matter. While we cannot comment on any individual, this will be reviewed in accordance with our policies and procedures and appropriate robust action will be taken where necessary.”
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