An independent investigation in Great Barrington will look into the search of a middle school classroom by a plainclothes police officer for the book "Gender Queer."

The Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee voted Thursday to hire a law firm to conduct the investigation.

In December, police searched an eighth-grade classroom for the book after someone complained it contained pornographic images.

Typically, book challenges go through the school, but Great Barrington Police Chief Paul Storti called the district’s superintendent, Peter Dillon, and the two agreed an officer would look for the book after school to determine if it met the definition of obscene material. Both have since apologized.

A redacted copy of the independent investigation will be released to the public when it's complete.