Massachusetts

Massachusetts police chief apologizes after officer searched middle school for LGBTQ book

A plainclothes officer with the Great Barrington Police Department reportedly visited the school to look for the book after the department received a complaint about "concerning illustrations"

The "Gender Queer" book
H. Rick Bamman/Pioneer Press/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

A Massachusetts police chief apologized after an officer searched a middle school for a copy of "Gender Queer: A Memoir," an illustrated book on gender identity that has been banned in other districts.

The incident occurred on Dec. 8 at W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School. A plainclothes officer with the Great Barrington Police Department visited this school to look for the book after the department received a complaint about "concerning illustrations," Boston.com reported.

The complainant allegedly provided police with an image that showed illustrated characters performing sexual acts, according to the news outlet.

The police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Police Chief Paul Storti told Boston.com that because the complaint was made to the department, they were "obligated and have a duty to examine the complaint further."

Read the full story here on NBCNews.com.

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