A North Carolina elementary school teacher has resigned, following reading before his third-grade class a gay-themed children's book, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The teacher, identified as Omar Currie, told his pupils the story "King and King," a fairy tale about a prince who finds his prince charming. Currie reasoned that he observed negative gay stereotyping in his class. Specifically, he was inspired to read the tale after he saw that a male pupil, who acted a little bit feminine, was bullied by his classmates. He was called a girl and the word gay was used in a disgusting manner.

Parents and guardians of the school children were adamant and protested at a community hearing with 200 people in attendance. One grandmother told the News & Observer that for her, "This is nothing more than bringing homosexuality into a school where it does not belong."

Although Currie's reason to teach the story was supported by the review committee, the school principal instructed his teachers to provide parents a booklist, to inform them that they will be used in the classroom. Currie believed that that the new policy was "unrealistic" and he is convinced that what he did was appropriate for the moment.

Feeling that the administration of the Efland-Cheeks Elementary School was not supporting his stand, Currie has resigned, followed by Assistant Principal Meg Goodhand, who lent Currie the book. Currie claimed he was "intimidated" by some school administrators, and was asked not to speak to the press about the furor over the book.

The controversial fairy tale is just like other fairy tales. The couple got married and lived happily ever after, only that there was no princess.

The book was initially published in the Netherlands and in 2002, was marketed in the United States by Tricycle Press in Berkeley. The American Library Assn. concurred that that it was one of the most controversial books getting in the country in 2003 and 2004.

After the resignation of teacher Currie and Vice Principal Goodhand from the Elementary School of Efland-Cheeks this week, the two complaints were withdrawn. Officials from Orange County Schools say that there had been no reports of any kind of bullying in Currie's class.

Following the ruling out of the initial complaint last month, Efland-Cheeks Elementary officials upheld that the book was proper, after questions were fielded to complaining parents during a community meeting. Since the complaints have been withdrawn, and the process ended, the school's decision on the book stands.