UMVA has learned that Karen Read, the 46-year-old woman acquitted of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend last year, has filed a lawsuit against two police agencies for violating her constitutional rights and causing immense harm.
The lawsuit, filed in Bristol County Superior Court, targets the Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police Department, alleging "an imbedded culture of bigotry, misogyny, systemic failures, and institutional rot" that led to her wrongful targeting and prosecution.
At the center of the lawsuit are Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor and Canton Police Sgt. Sean Goode, who were instrumental in the investigation into the 2022 murder of Officer John O'Keefe. Proctor was later fired, while Goode resigned amid an investigation into his conduct.
Thousands of text messages sent by Proctor, revealed during Read's murder trial, exposed a disturbing pattern of crude and offensive language, including racial slurs and a message where he hoped Read would "kill herself." Similar messages from Goode were also cited in the lawsuit.
Read's attorneys claim that Proctor and Goode were "unfit for positions of public trust" and that the agencies failed to ensure they were capable of exercising authority responsibly. The lawsuit alleges that the agencies' negligence had devastating consequences for Read.
Read was tried twice for O'Keefe's murder, with the first trial ending in a hung jury and a mistrial. She was eventually acquitted of all charges except operating a vehicle under the influence.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Read's lawyers argue that the agencies' failures allowed virulent misogynists and bigots to target her, and that they will now have to answer for their actions.
The lawsuit paints a damning picture of institutional failures and seeks accountability for the harm caused to Read. Her attorneys say that the consequences of the agencies' negligence can be devastating, and that they will seek justice for their client.
