Heather Bellow reports in The Berkshire Eagle that the Town of Great Barrington will hire an investigator to figure out exactly why police searched a middle school classroom after receiving a complaint about a book. The Select Board unanimously voted on Jan. 31 for the investigation and to make a report of the findings public “to the extent permitted.” The teacher whose classroom was searched asked for the investigation. The Berkshire Hills Regional School District said last week that its insurance company had selected a Boston-based law firm to handle a potential investigation into the matter. On Dec. 8 someone complained to police that there was sexually explicit material in the illustrated novel, “Gender Queer,” at the school, and police came and searched the classroom. The anonymous complainant also said they had overheard the teacher telling students “don’t tell your parents” and said they observed a student sitting on the teacher’s lap, according to the police report. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.