The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemns a police officer who searched a classroom for a queer book. The union says it has “deep concerns” after a cop in plain clothes turned on his body camera and searched for a book someone reported was sexually explicit. According to reports, the search occurred in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
The officer searched an eighth-grade English classroom for the book Gender Queer: a Memoir by Maia Kobabe. Although the officer didn’t find the book, cops insisted they had to investigate, as a complaint came straight to them. Following the incident, the school district apologized for how they handled the situation.
The school district stated that it “clearly and unequivocally” doesn’t support book banning. Ruth A. Bourquin, a senior managing attorney for the ACLU in Massachusetts, told The Berkshire Eagle her organization requested the body-camera footage and plans to probe the incident.
“Police going into schools and searching for books is the sort of thing you hear about in communist China and Russia,” she said. “What are we doing?” Hence, the group wants to access body camera footage and other records related to the complaint.
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Following the incident, more than 100 students at a nearby school walked out in protest over the police search. Police Chief Paul Storti said his department had to follow up on the complaint about Gender Queer.
“Because they made this complaint directly to the police, we must examine the complaint further,” he said. The Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee condemned the move and stands against book bans.
“The recent incident at the middle school has challenged and impacted our community,” the statement continued. “Faced with an unprecedented police investigation of a purely educational issue, we tried to serve students’ interests.” In addition, the school revealed that they could have approached the issue differently.
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“We are sorry. We can do better to refine and support our existing policies,” the school said. Also, the district plans to hold several meetings to discuss the incident, including at a school committee meeting in January.
Similarly, Bourquin condemned the actions, saying, “This incident is deeply concerning.” She added that the incident is an escalation of attempts by some. Furthermore, Bourquin said some are attempting to ban books about LGBTQ people, communities of color, and other marginalized groups.
Following the backlash concerning the incident, police in western Massachusetts apologized to the school. In an interview with CNN, Storti revealed that his department had never responded to similar complaints. “Over the years, our relationship with our schools has been positive and collaborative,” Storti said. “So together, we worked with the school to navigate this sensitive situation.”
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“If our involvement caused distrust and alarm, that was not our intention,” the police chief added. “I promise you our actions did not mean to disenfranchise anyone or influence school curriculum,” Storti concluded.
“Gender Queer: A Memoir,” by nonbinary author Maia Kobabe has been at the center of heated debates for years. According to reports, the book has a handful of graphic illustrations that depict LGBTQ sexual experiences. Consequently, parents are against its use in schools.
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