Lieutenant Weslyne Lewis Francois has leveled allegations against her superiors, claiming that her career was derailed by harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation. According to a series of details laid out in a CBS News Miami report, Francois, a black woman of Haitian and Bahamian descent, is seeking justice after being subjected to what she describes as a continuous discrediting campaign by Chief of Police Manuel Morales, centered around her hairstyle, with implications of being "too black."
Her lawyer, Michael Pizzi, says the targeting started after Francois was promoted to a position in the mostly white Coconut Grove neighborhood. Pizzi claims Chief Morales criticized her appearance and suggested to "tone down her look as it would not be accepted by the Coconut Grove community." Francois and Pizzi believe this comment reflects racial and ethnic bias, highlighting broader issues of discrimination against black women based on their appearance, including natural hair. It's worth noting that Francois’ dedication to the community had been previously praised, with a 2021 profile from the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District recognizing her caring approach, as per CBS News Miami.
The campaign Francois describes seems to evolve into overt retaliation, with accusations detailed in a Miami Herald article stating that Morales assigned her to organize a last-minute honor guard detail during her vacation, a pressure test she passed but resulted in her role with the honor guard being reassigned shortly after. She also recounts being berated in front of her peers and being saddled with an unjust evaluation process, including dealing with a major previously accused of using racial slurs.
Francois is now seeking at least $1 million in damages in her lawsuit, which underscores the long duration of her alleged mistreatment—lasting a notable 290 days. She avers that the persistent harassment is a reflection of systemic issues within the Miami Police Department, the very kind that routinely undermines the authority and presence of black women in positions of power. Despite the city's dismissal of the claims as meritless, with a city spokesperson asserting to the Miami Herald, "The City looks forward to its day in Court."
