Great Barrington, Massachusetts - Police in western Massachusetts have issued an apology following an incident where an officer was sent to a middle school to search for a book titled "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe. The apology was issued after a complaint was received regarding concerning illustrations within the book, leading to a misguided investigation.

The incident took place on December 8 at W.E.B. Dubois Regional Middle School, where a plainclothes officer arrived near the end of the school day to search for the book, according to a statement from Great Barrington Police Chief Paul Storti. However, after a conversation with the teacher, it was confirmed that the book in question was not present at that time.

Chief Storti expressed his apologies to anyone negatively affected by their involvement in the situation. This marked the first time that the police department had responded to such a complaint.

The complaint was made after an individual witnessed what they perceived to be concerning illustrations in a book provided by a teacher at the middle school. The person shared a photo of an illustration depicting animated characters engaging in sexual acts, which was later determined to be from Maia Kobabe's "Gender Queer: A Memoir" - a graphic memoir exploring the author's non-binary journey of identity.

Kobabe, in an interview with CNN, urged individuals to read the entire book before passing judgment. The memoir has faced controversy in school libraries, often being challenged or banned.

Chief Storti assured that the intention was not to disenfranchise anyone or influence the school curriculum. The police department, along with the Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy Shugrue, determined that the matter should be referred to the school district.

In response to the incident, Berkshire Hills Regional School District Superintendent Peter Dillon and Stephen Bannon, Chair of the Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee, issued an apology for the handling of the situation by school officials. They acknowledged that the incident should have been approached differently and committed to refining and supporting existing policies to better serve all students, particularly vulnerable populations.

The district plans to hold several meetings to address the incident and discuss necessary improvements. The issue has gained the attention of the ACLU of Massachusetts, with Ruth Bourquin, senior managing attorney, condemning the actions of the police. Bourquin expressed concern over the incident and labeled it as a serious escalation in attempts to ban books related to LGBTQ people, communities of color, and marginalized groups.

As the community looks ahead, the focus will be on learning from this incident and implementing measures to ensure a supportive and inclusive educational environment for all students.