A decorated Miami police commander is suing the city for $1 million, alleging harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation that culminated in her demotion.
Weslyne Lewis Francois, 40, who is a black woman and who has served for 18-years in the Miami Police Department, is accusing Chief of Police Manuel Morales of orchestrating a ‘campaign of racist and discriminatory actions’ aimed at undermining her career.
Francois claims the harassment began shortly after she was promoted to commanding officer in 2020 and revolved around her hairstyle, which Morales allegedly told her to ‘tone down’.
At the time, she had been assigned to serve the affluent, white Coconut Grove community.
According to the complaint, Morales’ remarks marked the start of a 290-day period of persecution.
‘It’s not just about my hair. This is about the systematic belittling of black women in positions of power,’ Francois stated in her Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint.
‘Chief Morales was relentless on how my look was not acceptable,’ it read. ‘Chief Morales’ actions were aimed at undermining the identities of black women, reinforcing a narrative of superiority that positioned them as lesser individuals.’
Weslyne Lewis Francois is suing the city for $1 million, alleging harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation that culminated in her demotion from Commander to Lieutenant
In a lawsuit, Francois alleges how Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales allegedly took issue with her appearance after seeing a social media photo of her
The lawsuit claims Chief Morales used her hairstyle as a pretext for undermining her professionalism. Francois is pictured having received and accolade from the City of Miami
Francois served in the U.S. Army before dedicating nearly two decades to the police force and quickly climbed through the ranks to become a commander.
Her leadership in Coconut Grove was praised by local organizations, including a glowing 2021 profile from the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District that described her as bringing a ‘nurturing touch’ to her role in the community.
Despite such recognition, Chief Morales allegedly took issue with her appearance after seeing a social media photo of her.
The lawsuit claims he used her hairstyle as a pretext for undermining her professionalism.
‘He compared my hairstyle to another black female officer with a shorter cut, implying that I was less professional because of how I chose to wear my hair,’ Francois alleges.
Francois says pushed back, stating her hairstyle complied with departmental policy and did not affect her ability to lead.
Morales, however, persisted, comparing her look to a colleague’s ‘sleek, straight cut’ and implying her natural hairstyle was ‘too ethnic.’
‘The clear implication of his comment was that her hairstyle was somehow too black,’ said Francois’ attorney, Michael Pizzi to the Miami Herald. ‘Unfortunately, that’s a very racist thing to say.’
What began as comments about her hairstyle then allegedly escalated into a series of retaliatory actions.
While Francois was on vacation, Morales reportedly assigned her an impossible task: to organize an honor guard detail for Veterans Day at City Hall with less than 24 hours’ notice.
Despite successfully meeting the challenge, she later learned through a subordinate’s text message that the, ‘chief was not happy.’
Shortly after, her honor guard duties were reassigned.
‘He compared my hairstyle to another black female officer with a shorter cut, implying that I was less professional because of how I chose to wear my hair,’ Francois, far right, alleges in her suit
Assistant Chief Thomas Carroll, pictured, allegedly acknowledged Morales’ vendetta against her, telling her, ‘Wes, we know what this is about. Let’s just make this go away. You know he is not going to stop.’
Former Miami Police Commander Weslyne Lewis Francois, third from left, is seen in a photo posted by the Department celebrating Black History Month
The complaint goes on to describe multiple instances of public humiliation, rumors, and baseless evaluations, including two controversial ’90-day performance improvement plans.’
On another occasion, Morales allegedly berated Francois in front of her colleagues during an awards ceremony, summoning her to his office with a pointed, public demand.
In the meeting, Francois claims she was subjected to an hour-long tirade designed to undermine her credibility and professionalism.
One evaluation involved an unlicensed behavioral analyst. Francois alleges she was also reprimanded for failing to respond to an incident while injured, a standard she notes was not applied to her male colleagues.
The harassment extended to her direct supervisor, Major Um Set Ramos, who allegedly ‘shadowed her at events’ and sought negative feedback about her performance.
In the lawsuit, Ramos, the had previously used the N-word to refer to a black car crash victim, further raising concerns about systemic racism within the department.
Amid the turmoil, Francois said some colleagues recognized the injustice.
Assistant Chief Thomas Carroll allegedly acknowledged Morales’ vendetta against her, telling her, ‘Wes, we know what this is about. Let’s just make this go away. You know he is not going to stop.’
Francois is now demanding at least $1 million in damages and a jury trial, accusing the city of failing to address a hostile work environment and violating anti-discrimination laws
Francois appears to be a popular officer and has even appeared in advertising campaigns
Her complaint goes on to describe multiple instances of public humiliation, rumors, and baseless evaluations, including two controversial ’90-day performance improvement plans’
Despite this acknowledgment, the harassment persisted, culminating in Francois’ demotion to lieutenant at the end of 2022.
Her appeals to Miami City Manager Art Noriega in January 2023 reportedly went unanswered.
Francois is now demanding at least $1 million in damages and a jury trial, accusing the city of failing to address a hostile work environment and violating anti-discrimination laws.
‘Her persecution lasted 290 days during which no other staff members of the opposite sex or race experienced similar treatment,’ the lawsuit states.
Francois hopes her lawsuit will bring accountability and shed light on systemic issues within the department.
The City of Miami has denied the allegations, and Chief Morales has not commented publicly.
A city spokesperson told the Miami Herald that the claims are without merit.
‘The City looks forward to its day in Court,’ a City of Miami spokesperson said.
