BOSTON (AP) 鈥� Karen Read has filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton, alleging misconduct and negligence in the investigation that led to her prosecution in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in Bristol County Superior Court argues that Read’s revealed 鈥渁n embedded culture of bigotry, misogyny, systemic failures, and institutional rot at the very core of both organizations.鈥� It alleges that the town and the police department were negligent in the hiring, training and supervision of officers and seeks damages for legal fees, lost income, emotional distress and reputational harm, among other claims.
The complaint reproduces dozens of text messages, recordings and other communications attributed to former state trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton police Sgt. Sean Goode. Among them are messages in which Proctor referred to Read as a 鈥渨hack job鈥� and wrote that he hoped she would kill herself. The lawsuit also cites messages that it says included use of the n-word and, in one instance, a comment by Proctor that 鈥淗itler was really on to something.鈥�
Read’s lawyers argue that those materials show both men were unfit to participate in the investigation and that their conduct reflected broader failures in oversight by state and local law enforcement.
In a statement on Thursday, State Police Superintendent Col. Geoffrey Noble called Proctor鈥檚 messages 鈥渞acist, sexist and abhorrent鈥� and said they supported his decision to fire the former trooper. Noble said the comments did not reflect the values of the department and pointed to changes that have been made since he became superintendent. He also noted that the investigation predated his tenure.
鈥淭hese disturbing messages are entirely inconsistent with any basic standard of decency and certainly with the expectations of a Massachusetts State Trooper,” Noble said, adding that agency officials are, “keenly aware of the ways in which this misconduct harmed the public trust on which our mission depends.鈥�
The town of Canton said it learned of the lawsuit through news reports and a press release from Read鈥檚 legal team and had not yet been served with the complaint. The town said it had 鈥渢he utmost faith and confidence鈥� in Police Chief Michael Daniels and disputed what it described as 鈥渂road stroke characterizations鈥� of Canton police officers contained in the lawsuit. Officials said the department has implemented recommendations from an outside audit and is modernizing the agency.
Proctor鈥檚 attorney, Matt Hamel, told NBC10 Boston that focusing on 鈥渁nything other than Ms. Read鈥檚 own conduct鈥� was 鈥渢elling and predictable鈥� and said 鈥渁nything Mr. Proctor did or said in his personal life, years before Officer O鈥橩eefe was killed, had no bearing whatsoever on the investigation of Karen Read.鈥�
Read about a year ago after more than three years and two trials over the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O鈥橩eefe, who was found on the suburban lawn of a fellow officer鈥檚 home after a night of heavy drinking during a snowstorm.
Prosecutors said Read hit O鈥橩eefe with her SUV on the January 2022 night of a party, leaving him to die in a blizzard. Read faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene. The jury acquitted her of those charges, but convicted her of a lesser charge for drunken driving.
Her lawyers , painting a sinister picture of police misconduct and theorizing that O鈥橩eefe was in fact killed by colleagues who then covered it up.
The trial centered in part on Michael Proctor, whom defense attorneys described as biased against Read from the beginning. The Massachusetts State Police trial board found Proctor guilty of sending crude and defamatory text messages about Read while leading the investigation into her. He was fired and became a central figure for Read supporters who believe the investigation was tainted.
Goode was placed on leave in November 2025 when the town was notified about allegations of misconduct. He resigned earlier this week, according to news outlets.
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