Brian DePena, mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, requested a translator during a recent court appearance but was denied. The hearing involved a former police chief, and the incident highlighted language barriers for the Dominican-born official. Social media reactions have amplified the controversy.
On Friday, Brian DePena, the mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, appeared before the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission. During the proceedings, DePena, who hails from the Dominican Republic, asked for his personal assistant to serve as a translator. The judge rejected the request, citing concerns over the assistant's lack of independent verification. With neither the judge nor opposing counsel speaking Spanish, officials worried about potential mistranslations that could impact the case.
The hearing focused on former Lawrence Police Chief William Castro, a political ally of DePena. Castro lost his policing credentials following a 2024 incident where he drove the wrong way down a city street in pursuit. He filed a report claiming he was responding to an armed bank robbery, but documents later showed the chase stemmed from an allegation of cashing a bad check. Investigations by NBC10 Boston revealed DePena's efforts to limit the probe into Castro.
DePena immigrated from the Dominican Republic to New York in the early 1980s and relocated to Lawrence in 1989. The city, which is over 82% Hispanic according to census data, has a significant Spanish-speaking population. A video of the courtroom exchange, shared by Libs of TikTok on December 22, 2025, quickly went viral.
Online responses varied, with users expressing shock. One commented, "How is this even real life?" Another said, "This is absurd. We live in a parody world." Critics questioned eligibility for office, stating, "If you can’t speak English, you shouldn’t even be eligible for citizenship, much less public office." Others asked, "How are you supposed to represent Americans if you can’t even understand our language?"
The episode underscores challenges for non-native English speakers in public roles, particularly in diverse communities like Lawrence.
