Karen Read's Legal Battle Aims to Uncover Police Misconduct
WHO:
ABC News - Karen Read, 46, is the plaintiff in the lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police Department.
ABC News - John O’Keefe was Read's boyfriend and a Boston police officer.
ABC News - Michael Proctor and Sean Goode are former officers named in the lawsuit.
ABC News - Matthew Hamel is Proctor's attorney.
ABC News - Charles Waters and Alan Jackson are attorneys representing Read.
WHAT:
ABC News - Read's lawsuit claims that the Canton Police Department and Massachusetts State Police "negligently permitted virulent misogynists and bigots to target her."
ABC News - Read stated, "There's clearly a rot permeating the state police, and it's not just a coincidence; it's the ones that were involved in my case that I happened to learn about with the help of the Department of Justice."
ABC News - Read cited the 2024 death of trainee Enrique Delgado Garcia as an example of misconduct that led to an internal investigation, resulting in the next training class being put on hold while implementing recommended changes.
ABC News - Read's attorney, Alan Jackson, suggested that "there should probably be a federal judge who should be overseeing the Massachusetts State Police from the top."
ABC News - Col. Geoffrey Noble, head of the Massachusetts State Police, acknowledged the impact of the messages on public trust, stating, "I, just like everybody else, am disgusted by the vile remarks that have come to light."
ABC News - Read filed a new lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police Department, accusing them of hiring "virulent bigots."
ABC News - The lawsuit includes previously unseen text messages allegedly from Proctor and Goode disparaging various groups, including women, Black Americans, Asian Americans, Jews, Hispanics, Arabs, and the LGBTQ community.
ABC News - Read's legal team claims they uncovered 13,000 "messages of bias" related to the case.
ABC News - Read filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police Department.
ABC News - Read claims the police departments framed her for murder.
ABC News - Read was acquitted of murdering John O’Keefe nearly a year prior to the lawsuit.
ABC News - The lawsuit includes previously unseen text messages from Proctor and Goode that allegedly contain bigoted remarks.
ABC News - Proctor was fired from the Massachusetts State Police after vulgar text messages were revealed.
ABC News - Goode was placed on administrative leave and an internal investigation was launched after inappropriate text messages were reported.
WHERE:
ABC News - The lawsuit involves the Massachusetts State Police and the Town of Canton Police Department.
WHEN:
ABC News - Read was acquitted of murder in June 2025.
ABC News - Goode's resignation was effective June 2.
ABC News - A hearing for Goode's termination proceedings was set for June 2.
WHY:
ABC News - Read expressed that her experiences have changed her perspective on her home state, stating, "I think it's an onus on me now to address the problems and the corruption that I've experienced."
ABC News - Read claims the lawsuit is a "crusade" to expose corruption, bigotry, and misogyny in the police departments.
ABC News - Read's legal team alleges that Proctor and Goode have "deeply held biases" against women that influenced their investigation.
HOW:
ABC News - The town of Canton stated it initiated termination proceedings for Goode and set a hearing for June 2, but Goode resigned on May 29, effective June 2, before those proceedings could be completed.
ABC News - Read's lawsuit includes text messages that allegedly show the biases of the officers involved.
ABC News - The Town of Canton stated it retained an independent investigator after learning of the allegations against Goode and Proctor.
(UPDATED June 6, 2026 11:20 UTC)
A lawsuit filed by Read claims that the Canton Police Department and Massachusetts State Police allowed misogynists and bigots to target her, highlighting a troubling culture within the department. Read pointed to the 2024 death of trainee Enrique Delgado Garcia as a significant example of misconduct that prompted an internal investigation, which has since delayed the next training class for necessary changes. Her attorney, Alan Jackson, suggested that a federal judge should oversee the Massachusetts State Police, while Col. Geoffrey Noble, the department's head, acknowledged the damaging effect of recent revelations on public trust.
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(UPDATED June 6, 2026 04:18 UTC)
Read has filed a new lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and the Canton Police Department, alleging that they hired "virulent bigots." The lawsuit includes previously unseen text messages from Proctor and Goode that reportedly disparage various groups, such as women, Black Americans, Asian Americans, Jews, Hispanics, Arabs, and the LGBTQ community, with Read's legal team claiming to have uncovered 13,000 "messages of bias." Meanwhile, the town of Canton has stated that it initiated termination proceedings for Goode and scheduled a hearing for June 2, but Goode resigned on May 29, effective June 2, before those proceedings could be finalized.
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(UPDATED June 5, 2026 23:22 UTC)
Karen Read, a 46-year-old plaintiff, has filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and the Canton Police Department, claiming that they framed her for the murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, from whom she was acquitted nearly a year ago. The lawsuit includes previously unseen text messages from former officers Michael Proctor and Sean Goode, which allegedly contain bigoted remarks, and follows Proctor's firing due to vulgar messages and Goode's placement on administrative leave amid an internal investigation. Read's legal team argues that the case is a "crusade" to expose corruption, bigotry, and misogyny within the police departments, asserting that the biases of Proctor and Goode influenced their investigation against her.