There will be no charges filed against a Coloma teacher who gave students copies of a book some parents later deemed graphic. In a letter to Coloma Township Police Chief Wes Smigielski and obtained by ABC 57, the Berrien County Prosecutor’s office says it’s reviewed the case involving teacher Katherine Cattes and “Looking for Alaska,” a novel by John Green. Prosecutor Steve Pierangeli says Cattes did not commit a crime by giving the book to students. He says the move may have been ill-advised, but not illegal. Pierangeli says under state law, for charges to be filed, the material given to minors would have to be harmful to them. Looking for Alaska doesn’t meet the standard. Pierangeli writes the teacher had been making the book available to students for ten years and it’s been in the Coloma Middle School Library for at least 10 years. He also noted “Ms. Cattes offered numerous books from which the students could choose.” Pierangeli said the matter should be handled by the school district, and not the prosecutor.
