BOSTON — Karen Read filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton, alleging misconduct and negligence in the investigation of her boyfriend’s death that led to her prosecution.
Read, who was acquitted last June of murder charges in the 2022 death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, claims in the civil complaint filed in Bristol County Superior Court that the agencies failed to properly supervise officers with histories of bias and misconduct.
O’Keefe was found dead outside a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022. Prosecutors had alleged that Read struck him with her SUV and left him to die. Read maintained her innocence, and after two trials, a jury acquitted her of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, though she was convicted of driving under the influence.
The lawsuit, which her attorneys described as 87 pages long, accuses the departments of allowing a culture of bigotry and systemic failures. It cites text messages from former State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator, that included offensive remarks about women, Black people, Asian people, gay people and Jewish people.
One example cited, according to the filing, was a text in which Proctor discussed a motor vehicle crash involving a person he referred to with a racial slur, saying there was no rush to respond. Proctor was fired in March 2025 and had his law enforcement certification suspended.
The suit also references Sgt. Sean Goode of the Canton Police Department, who resigned this week after being placed on leave over misconduct allegations. Read’s attorneys stated that the departments “negligently permitted virulent misogynists and bigots to target her.”
“The days of hiding behind badges and promotions while peddling vile bigotry are over. The truth is coming, and with it an unflinching reckoning,” her defense team said in a statement.
Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble said Proctor’s messages were “entirely inconsistent with any basic standard of decency” and supported the decision to terminate him. “These racist, sexist and abhorrent comments absolutely do not reflect the values of the Massachusetts State Police,” Noble stated.
The town of Canton said it learned of the lawsuit through media reports and had no immediate comment on the substance, while expressing confidence in its current police leadership.
Read seeks damages for legal expenses, lost income, reputational harm and emotional distress. The agencies have not yet filed responses in court.
The filing comes amid other ongoing civil litigation related to the case. O’Keefe’s family has sued Read, and several witnesses from the trials have filed defamation claims against her and a blogger who supported her defense. No one else has been charged in O’Keefe’s death.
Details of the lawsuit’s next steps, including any potential trial timeline, remain unclear.
