Cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed had been shown to pupils at Batley Grammar School prior to the incident last week which sparked two days of protests, it has been reported.
A 29-year-old religious education teacher was suspended pending an investigation after showing students an image of the founder of Islam.
The school in West Yorkshire was closed for a second day on Friday after more than 50 protesters gathered outside.
Many students and parents have defended the unnamed teacher as it was revealed students had been shown the image in previous years by different teachers.
One parent told The Times: “This was taught last year to my daughter by a different teacher. I know it’s been taught in other years, in other lessons. Why single this teacher out?”
Of a similar lesson last year, a pupil said: “He just showed the picture and spoke to us about it.
“He never asked for permission. It was a cartoon. No one was really shocked to be fair. It was just on the whiteboard, on the projection screen. Part of integrated studies class.”
The cartoon was reported to have been taken from the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Any depiction of the prophet is deemed offensive to the Islamic faith.
A petition to save the teacher’s job has since gained more than 35,000 signatures.
Gavin Williamson condemned "threats and intimidation" after the row erupted on Thursday.
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: “It is never acceptable to threaten or intimidate teachers. We encourage dialogue between parents and schools when issues emerge.”
One neighbour told the Times that the matter had been “massively overblown” and said the teacher was a “friendly” and “trustworthy” father of young children.
Headteacher Gary Kibble apologised “unequivocally” and said the member of staff had “given their most sincere apologies”.
He added: “We have immediately withdrawn teaching on this part of the course and we are reviewing how we go forward with the support of all the communities represented in our school.
“It is important for children to learn about faiths and beliefs, but this must be done in a sensitive way.”
Dr Abdul Shaikh, a local academic in Batley and Muslim activist, said he was “shocked” when he heard about the incident.
He said: "I was shocked like many Muslims in the town that Muslim school children’s religious sensitivities were completely ignored by the school teacher who decided to show an offensive image that lampooned the noble Prophet Mohammed.
"Every Muslim around the world holds the Prophet in the highest esteem.
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"I feel that the school should be allowed to complete their investigation in due course and find a fair and adequate solution that satisfies first and foremost Muslim pupils, their parents and the wider Muslim community in Batley.”
A protester speaking “on behalf of the Muslim community” read out a statement outside the school on Friday, saying: “The teachers have breached the position of trust and failed their duty of safeguarding, and this issue must be addressed as a matter of urgency.”
He called on the entire British Muslim community to examine the materials being taught in their children’s schools.
Batley Grammar School has been approached for comment
