BOSTON — Canton says it placed ex-cop Sean Goode on leave upon hearing of his alleged involvement in vile and racist text message exchanges but that it “did not and still does not” have a copy of the messages.

“Claims that the Town knowingly ignored misconduct or failed to take these allegations seriously are inconsistent with the actions taken,” according to a statement issued by the Town of Canton. “Upon learning of the allegations, the Town promptly removed Sgt. Goode from the workplace, retained an independent investigator, and pursued appropriate personnel action based on the information available throughout the investigative process.

“The messages are abhorrent, deeply offensive, hateful, and do not reflect the values of the Canton Police Department or its members. The men and women of the Canton Police Department are entrusted with serving every member of the community fairly, professionally, and with respect. Preserving that trust requires accountability, transparency, and adherence to the highest standards of public service,” the statement continued.

The messages in question were at least partially made public when Karen Read filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Town of Canton and the Massachusetts State Police, as ex-Trooper Michael Proctor — the lead investigator in the murder case against Read — was the other participant in the messages.

“They are not officers who occasionally voiced an offensive remark,” Read’s attorneys wrote in the lawsuit complaint. “They are men whose written and recorded communications — sent to one another and to a circle of like-minded friends over the course of a decade — establish entrenched and unrepentant hatred for women, Black Americans, Asian Americans, Jews, Hispanics, Arabs, and gay people.”

Read was charged in 2022 with the murder of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, whose body was found on the front lawn of the Canton home of a fellow Boston cop. After two trials, she was acquitted of all but the charge of drunken driving. Her attorneys have always maintained a third-party killer theory and have implied law enforcement, including Proctor and Goode, actively worked to frame her for O’Keefe’s murder.

Canton said it initiated an internal affairs investigation into Goode “after the Town became aware of inappropriate text messages through the District Attorney’s office on Oct. 24, 2025,” according to a statement shared Friday afternoon. The town placed Goode on leave, opened an internal investigation and hired an outside investigator, according to the statement.

“However, the Town did not and still does not possess the messages themselves,” according to the statement. “The Town’s outside investigator was granted access to the messages in December 2025, subject to a court-issued protective order that strictly restricted dissemination of the messages.”

That “process time-intensive” investigation reviewed more than 200,000 voice notes and text messages dating back to 2013. Goode’s union counsel was also granted access to the messages.

Canton, required under Massachusetts civil law to conduct a full adjudicatory hearing before firing a cop, scheduled a hearing for June 2. Goode tendered his resignation on May 29, effective on June 2, “before those proceedings could be completed.”

Goode was paid a salary of $189,214 in 2025, according to city payroll records.

Canton said it will release its internal investigation report when it is finalized.

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