[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Karen Read‘s legal battles are far from over.
It’s been almost a year since she was found not guilty in the case of her boyfriend’s, John O’Keefe, tragic death. In case you don’t remember, Karen was arrested after John was found badly injured and unresponsive in the snow outside the home of then-Boston police officer Brian Albert in Canton, MA, on January 29, 2022.
At the time, prosecutors alleged she intentionally left him to die after hitting him with her car, but the court found that not to be the case and she was acquitted. But now she’s got a new problem — and it lies with the Massachusetts State Police!
According to legal docs obtained by People, Karen filed a civil lawsuit on Thursday, June fourth which alleges bias and misconduct fueled the investigation against her. She even included TONS of texts that were allegedly sent between investigators. And y’all, this gets NASTY! And horrifically racist…
The alleged texts are claimed to be sent between State Trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton Police Sgt. Sean Goode and contain racist, misogynistic, antisemitic, and homophobic language. But this filing, per the docs, has nothing to do with her “personal grievances”:
“Rather, it is a clarion call for reform and accountability.”
The messages then follow, and this is where it gets truly disturbing. So if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing, proceed with caution.
The first allegations come in the form of Proctor allegedly calling women “thick pigs” before suggesting he need “a roofie” to find a girlfriend. He also allegedly described, in graphic detail, a fantasy of a woman being killed by bugs.
Read is also alleging these investigators talked s**t about her just HOURS after her boyfriend was found dead. The lawsuit claims Proctor referred to her as a “whack job [c-word]” and said “she’s f**ked.”
Related: Kylie Jenner Lawsuit: Housekeeper Allegedly Forced To Clean Without Proper Pay
Things only got more horrible when more allegations came up in the lawsuit, highlighting alleged racism. In the docs, Read’s team claims after Proctor learned of a multi-car crash, he immediately wrote:
“Actually, take your time, I saw a [n-word] was involved, so I wouldn’t rush if you’re working. Let them die.”
Holy s**t. Other alleged texts that included this horrific language said:
“Woulda been nice if they were still our slaves”
“It should be ‘punch a [n-word] day’ in canton today out of retribution”
“America sucks . . . Hitler was really on to something then the f**king US had to step in and ruin it.”
“Detroit should be destroyed along with places like flint Michigan. They are breeding grounds for [n-words] to run wild.”
OMG! What the actual f**k!
And this is still only the beginning! Goode’s alleged texts are claimed by Read’s team to have said things like:
“Anne Franks a lying [c-word]”
These are just SOME of the texts we’ve seen. According to how long this filing is, there’s even more terrible language, including slurs that are used against Black, Hispanic, Asian, Arabic, Jewish, LGBTQ+ people, and women. So awful.
And it looks like Proctor knew just how bad this was! In an alleged text from 2017, he wrote:
“No idea how I passed the background [check].”
Infuriating!
Read’s legal team called this “an embedded culture of bigotry, misogyny, systemic failures, and institutional rot” within both the Massachusetts State Police and the Canton Police Department. They claim that even though these men were talking like this and sharing these beliefs, they were still allowed to be part of a high-profile investigation. And that’s just not right.
The text messages aren’t the only part of this civil suit, though. Another big part is Read alleges they ignored any evidence that could’ve pointed toward O’Keefe being injured inside the house, and instead planted or manufactured evidence that Read had run over him. The docs also allege they failed to properly secure the crime scene and neglected to collect key evidence.
This, of course, goes in line with Read’s earlier lawsuit from November 2025 where she alleged Proctor looked for nude photos while searching her cell phone, and said “no nudes so far” in response to some of his friends. He also allegedly said he hoped Read would take her own life.
A lot to take in…
The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment. The Town of Canton, however, said to CBS News “any broad stroke characterizations about the brave and dedicated men and women who serve” in the Canton PD.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble said on behalf of the State PD:
“These disturbing messages are entirely inconsistent with any basic standard of decency and certainly with the expectations of a Massachusetts State Trooper. These racist, sexist and abhorrent comments absolutely do not reflect the values of the Massachusetts State Police and are not tolerated within our ranks. They underscore and fully support my decision to terminate Michael Proctor.”
What do you think about all this info so far? Sound OFF (below).
To learn more about civil rights issues, check out https://www.splcenter.org/. To learn more about antisemitism and how you can help fight it, check out https://www.adl.org/. To learn more about how you can help stop AAPI hate, check out https://stopaapihate.org/. To learn more about LatinX advocacy, check out https://www.unidosus.org/. To learn more about advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, check out https://www.glaad.org/. For more information on violence against women, go to https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-for-survivors. For resources on mental health, visit https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help.
[Image via Boston 25 News/YouTube]
-
Categories
