Karen Read has taken legal action against the Massachusetts State Police and the Canton Police Department, accusing them of fostering a culture of bias and corruption that led to her being wrongfully charged in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. The lawsuit was filed in Bristol County Superior Court.

Allegations of Bias and Misconduct

Read’s legal team claims that the institutions have long tolerated and concealed a culture of bias and corruption. They specifically named Michael Proctor, a former state police lieutenant, and Sean Goode, a former Canton police sergeant, as emblematic of this culture. Proctor was dismissed last year for his handling of the investigation into O’Keefe’s death, during which he admitted to sending offensive texts about Read. Goode recently resigned amid an internal investigation into alleged misconduct.

The lawsuit alleges that both Proctor and Goode were unfit for their roles due to prejudices and biases, including anti-woman, racist, antisemitic, and homophobic ideologies. Despite these issues being known to their respective departments, both men were allowed to continue in their positions of trust.

Institutional Failures

According to Read’s legal team, the Massachusetts State Police were aware of Proctor’s biases as early as February 2024 but failed to take action. Similarly, the Canton Police Department reviewed Goode’s inappropriate messages last year but did not terminate him, allowing him to resign only recently, just before the lawsuit was filed.

The lawsuit highlights systemic issues within these law enforcement agencies, suggesting that the problems are not isolated incidents but indicative of broader institutional failures. NBC10 Boston has reached out to both police departments for comments on the lawsuit.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.