A decorated Miami police commander is suing the city for $1 million, alleging harassment, racial discrimination and retaliation that culminated in his demotion.
Weslyne Lewis Francois, 40, a black woman who has worked for 18 years in the Miami Police Department, accuses Police Chief 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 white, affluent community of Coconut Grove.
According to the complaint, Morales’ comments marked the beginning of a 290-day period of persecution.
‘It’s not just about my hair. “This is about the systematic disparagement of black women in positions of power,” Francois said in her complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
“Chief Morales was relentless in saying that my appearance was not acceptable,” it said. ‘Chief Morales’ actions were intended to undermine the identities of black women, reinforcing a narrative of superiority that positioned them as inferior individuals.’
Weslyne Lewis Francois is suing the city for $1 million, alleging harassment, racial discrimination and retaliation that culminated in his 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 photo of her on social media.
The lawsuit claims that Chief Morales used her hairstyle as a pretext to undermine her professionalism. Francois is pictured receiving an award from the city of Miami.
Francois served in the U.S. Army before spending nearly two decades in the police force and quickly rose 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 an “enriching touch” to her role in the community.
Despite such recognition, Chief Morales reportedly took issue with her appearance after seeing a photo of her on social media.
The lawsuit claims he used her hairstyle as a pretext to undermine her professionalism.
“She compared my hairstyle to that of another black officer with a shorter cut, implying that I was less professional because of the way I chose to wear my hair,” Francois alleges.
Francois says he pushed back, stating that his hairstyle complied with departmental policy and did not affect his ability to lead.
Morales, however, persisted, comparing her appearance to a colleague’s “sleek, straight cut” and implying that her natural hairstyle was “too ethnic.”
“The clear implication of his comment was that his hairstyle was too black,” Francois’ lawyer, Michael Pizzi, told the Miami Herald. “Unfortunately, saying that is very racist.”
What started as comments about her hairstyle allegedly turned into a series of retaliatory actions.
While Francois was on vacation, Morales allegedly assigned him an impossible task: organizing a Veterans Day honor guard at City Hall with less than 24 hours’ notice.
Despite successfully passing the challenge, he later learned via a text message from a subordinate that “the boss was not happy.”
Shortly afterward, his honor guard duties were reassigned.
“She compared my hairstyle to that of another black officer with a shorter cut, implying that I was less professional because of how I chose to wear my hair,” Francois, a far-right alleged, in her lawsuit.
Deputy Chief Thomas Carroll, pictured, allegedly acknowledged Morales’ vendetta against her and told him: ‘Wes, we know what this is about. Let’s make this go away. You know it’s not going to stop.
Former Miami Police Commander Weslyne Lewis Francois, third from left, appears in a photo released by the Department celebrating Black History Month.
The complaint goes on to describe multiple instances of public humiliation, rumors and unfounded 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 public and direct demand.
At the meeting, Francois claims she was subjected to an hour-long tirade designed to undermine her credibility and professionalism.
One evaluation involved an unlicensed behavior analyst. Francois alleges she was also reprimanded for not responding to an incident while she was injured, a rule she claims was not applied to her male colleagues.
The harassment extended to her direct supervisor, Major Um Set Ramos, who allegedly “followed her at events” and sought negative feedback about her performance.
In the lawsuit, Ramos had previously used the N-word to refer to a Black car accident victim, raising even more concerns about systemic racism within the department.
Amid the turmoil, Francois said some colleagues recognized the injustice.
Deputy Chief Thomas Carroll allegedly recognized Morales’ vendetta against her and told him: ‘Wes, we know what this is about. Let’s make this go away. You know it’s 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 unfounded evaluations, including two controversial ’90-day performance improvement plans.’
Despite this recognition, the harassment persisted and culminated in Francois’s demotion to lieutenant in late 2022.
His 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 the hostile work environment and violating anti-discrimination laws.
“Their persecution lasted 290 days during which no other staff members of the opposite sex or race experienced similar treatment,” the lawsuit states.
Francois hopes his 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 made no public comments.
A city spokesperson told The Miami Herald that the claims are unfounded.
“The City looks forward to its day in Court,” said a spokesperson for the City of Miami.