CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) – When seventh and eighth-graders asked teacher Ron Fanelle about rumors he was gay and got married to his partner in San Francisco, he told the students it was true.

The class gave him a standing ovation.

But it’s not so happily ever after for Fanelle, who had previously kept his personal life out of the classroom.

The parents of one student pulled their child out of Fanelle’s class and another parent showed up at a school board meeting to accuse the middle school teacher of promoting a pro-gay agenda.

Fanelle filed complaints accusing two teachers of spreading the word among students about his sexual orientation.

Now, there’s a Pleasant Valley School District inquiry.

“Our intent is to make sure we have all the facts and we preserve everyone’s rights,” Superintendent Tom Dase said. “We’re not investigating an individual, and we’re certainly not investigating Mr. Fanelle because he’s homosexual.”

Fanelle married his partner of 15 years, Randy Serak, on Valentine’s Day. His Monte Vista Middle School colleagues, including principal Sara Davis, knew he was gay and had gotten married and they congratulated him at a staff meeting.

A teacher told her students about the marriage and word spread quickly through the school.

“The kids walked in and there was a buzz about it,” Fanelle said. “They said, ‘We heard you got married on Valentine’s Day. Is it true?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ They asked, ‘Was it a man?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ Then they gave me a standing ovation.”

The students then asked about his partner.

“I said, ‘His name is Randy. It was a beautiful wedding. Any other questions?”” Fanelle said.

A male student began muttering negative comments under his breath, Fanelle said, so he read aloud the sexual harassment code in a student handbook. He also used the opportunity to talk about suffrage, bigotry and the Magna Carta.

A parent later complained to the school, but subsequently backed off. Then, Fanelle said, parent David Maddux brought it up during a March 4 school board meeting, which was shown on local cable TV.

“I come to you tonight with a heavy heart,” said Maddux, who doesn’t have a child in Fanelle’s class. “A seventh-grade history teacher announced to his students he’s gay. I’m very upset and disappointed that this person was bringing his homosexual platform to the classroom.”

School board president Sandra Berg said the public statements have led to an investigation.

“(Fanelle) got married and came back and somehow the kids found out about it,” Berg said. “We’re trying to teach appropriate behavior toward people’s personal lives. We’re trying to set parameters and find out what the appropriate procedures would be for kids.”

Many parents are supporting Fanelle.

“I, for one, find nothing distressing whatsoever in a teacher indicating his or her sexual orientation to my children,” parent Elizabeth Rice wrote to Davis.

Because he was hoping to avoid any controversy about his personal life, Fanelle said he has filed formal complaints with the school district against the teacher who talked about his sexual orientation with her students and the one who stood by while her students gossiped about it.

“I got outed,” Fanelle said. “I didn’t come and tell the kids I was gay. I just gave them the information when they asked about it. I’m the one that got discriminated against.”