A religious education teacher who was suspended after showing children caricature of the Prophet Mohammed can return to the classroom.
An independent investigation into the incident has concluded that the teaching staff involved in delivering the lesson at Batley Grammar School did not use the image with the intention of causing offence.
The image is widely reported to be taken from the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which was targeted in a 2015 deadly mass shooting after publishing a Prophet Muhammed cartoon .
Several protests took place outside the school in Batley, West Yorkshire, calling for the teacher to be sacked.
But tens of thousands of students and parents signed a petition backing the teacher.
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A spokeswoman for the Batley Multi Academy Trust, which runs the school, said: "We accept the recommendations of the independent expert investigation and will put them into practice immediately.
"The investigation recommends that the issues raised can be effectively dealt with through additional management guidance and training.
"The findings are clear, that the teaching staff involved did not use the resource with the intention of causing offence, and that the topics covered by the lesson could have been effectively addressed in other ways.
"In the light of those conclusions, the suspensions put in place while the investigation was under way will now be lifted."
After protesters ignored coronavirus restrictions to descended outside the school a Department for Education spokesperson criticised both the display of the caricature and the nature of the demonstrations.
The teacher, who was not named, apologised after showing the cartoon, but was said at the time to be fearing for his life.
His father told the Mail Online his son has gone into hiding with his partner, and fears his life will never be the same again.
Headteacher Gary Kibble "apologised" for incident which is said to have happened on March 22.
In a statement at the time he said: "The school unequivocally apologises for using a totally inappropriate resource in a recent religious studies lesson.
"The member of staff has also given their most sincere apologies.
"We have immediately withdrawn teaching on this part of the course and we are reviewing how we go forward with the support of all the communities represented in our school.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.
"The school is working closely with the governing board and community leaders to help resolve this situation."
Founder of Batley-based charity Purpose Of Life, Mohammad Sajad Hussain, said they were unwilling to work with or promote the school until the teacher is “permanently removed”.
However, the National Secular Society branded the protest as an “attempt to impose an Islamic blasphemy taboo on a school”.
Stephen Evans, chief executive of the National Secular Society, said: “Teachers must have a reasonable degree of freedom to explore sensitive subjects and enable students to think critically about them.
“And the school’s weak response will fuel a climate of censorship, which is brought on by attempts to force society as a whole to accommodate unreasonable and reactionary religious views.”
