Karen Read has initiated legal proceedings against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton, citing misconduct and negligence during the investigation that led to her prosecution for the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
Read’s lawsuit, filed Thursday in Bristol County Superior Court, claims her acquittal last June exposed a “culture of bigotry, misogyny, systemic failures, and institutional rot” within both organizations. The suit alleges negligence in the hiring, training, and supervision of officers.
Neither the town of Canton nor the Canton Police Department has responded to email inquiries for comments.
Read was acquitted about a year ago after enduring over three years and two trials concerning O’Keefe’s death. O’Keefe was found dead on the lawn of a fellow officer’s home after a night of drinking during a snowstorm. Read faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene but was convicted only of drunken driving.
Prosecutors accused Read of striking O’Keefe with her SUV during the party and leaving him to die. Her defense successfully argued that police misconduct was involved, theorizing O’Keefe’s death was caused by colleagues who then covered it up.
The trial highlighted investigator Michael Proctor, depicted by defense attorneys as biased against Read from the start. Proctor was found guilty by the Massachusetts State Police trial board for sending derogatory messages about Read. He was dismissed, which fueled claims of a cover-up among Read supporters.
The complaint outlines numerous pages concerning Proctor and former Canton police Sgt. Sean Goode. It references communications indicative of racist, sexist, and derogatory remarks. Read contends this demonstrates both men were unfit for the investigation, reflecting broader oversight failures by state and local officials.
Goode was suspended in November 2025 upon notification of misconduct allegations and recently resigned, according to media reports.
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