Massachusetts Teacher Advances LGBTQ+ Book Investigation Lawsuit

Oct. 20, 2025, 4:33 PM UTC

The Town of Great Barrington, Mass., and police officials must face claims from a middle school teacher who was investigated over an LGBTQ-related book she kept in her classroom.

Du Bois Regional Middle School teacher Arantzazú Galdós-Shapiro plausibly alleged that a police officer’s questioning into her ownership of “Gender Queer” could deter a reasonable person from exercising their right to own the book, Judge Mark G. Mastroianni of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts said in an Oct. 17 order.

Galdós-Shapiro kept a personal copy of “Gender Queer” in her classroom, and loaned the book to ...

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