MELROSE — Melrose Mayor Jen Grigoraitis and Superintendent of Schools Adam Deleidi announced this week that Melrose will retain Abra Francois, Esq. to assess school district policies, examine recent reports of bias incidents in Melrose Public Schools (MPS), and formulate recommendations for improving the professional, social and academic culture and climate within Melrose schools to prevent future bias incidents. 

Francois, a former federal civil rights enforcement attorney and investigator, is the founder of Systemic Lens Consulting LLC, a firm which provides thorough and data-driven recommendations to schools and school districts to improve policies and procedures related to civil rights and train educators and school staff to implement such policies and procedures. 

“Melrose students, whether their families live here or in Boston, should never have to face racism and bias in school.

Reports this spring of race-based student harassment in our schools demonstrated clearly that it is past time for our community to engage in serious, reflective and critical conversations on race and racism, even when those conversations are uncomfortable,” said Grigoraitis. “I’m confident that Abra will leverage her extensive professional experience and perspectives on student civil rights to advise Melrose on the right path forward to make our community safer and more equitable for all.” 

“The Melrose Public Schools are committed to engaging the whole community in the process of identifying and eliminating race- and disability-based student harassment and hostile environments from our schools,” said Deleidi, who joined the Melrose Public Schools leadership earlier this summer. “As we begin this process, it’s vital that we center the voices and perspectives of the members of our community most impacted by racism.” 

In the course of her work, Francois will provide the City of Melrose and MPS with a clear understanding of:

• Any race- and disability-based student harassment and race- and disability-based hostile environment concerns within the school district;

• Policies, procedures and internal guidelines that define race- and disability-based student harassment (in contrast to bullying) and a race- and disability-based hostile environment, in addition to describing prompt and effective steps to end any race- and disability-based student harassment;

• Creative and feasible solutions to address any race- and disability-based student harassment and race- and disability-based hostile environment concerns; and

• Professional development for MPS faculty and staff in order to effectively implement solutions.
Earlier in 2024, local and state press reported that two Melrose Public Schools families, in collaboration with Lawyers for Civil Rights, had filed formal complaints with the federal Office of Civil Rights (OCR) regarding patterns of race-based harassment of their students. Although Melrose has not received official notification about these complaints from OCR, City and School Department officials moved quickly to respond to individual and community concerns and formulate strategies to address any race-based student harassment in Melrose. The retention of Francois and Systemic Lens is a key step forward in that process.
Grigoraitis has authorized the allocation of $50,000 in remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pay for Francois’ work. This one-time federal funding awarded to the City in 2021 is set to expire in December 2024.
Abra Francois, Esq. is the founder of Systemic Lens Consulting LLC, and an education and civil rights consultant. She has spent more than fifteen years building civil rights expertise. Abra has extensive experience working with school districts and parents/guardians throughout all stages of the federal civil rights complaint process. She previously worked as a Supervisory Attorney at the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, where she investigated and resolved complaints against school districts as well as colleges and universities throughout New England. Abra currently teaches a graduate course focused on civil rights law and inclusive education strategies. In the past, she taught a special education law and disability rights course at a Boston law school.
Abra is a graduate of Boston College Law School and Simmons College. She is a proud Board Member of EdVestors.
More information on Abra and Systemic Lens can be found at www.systemiclensconsulting.com.

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Francois’ hiring comes after city officials acknowledged in June there is a lot of work to do when reports surfaced about possible racist acts in Melrose schools.

According to a release that month, Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) against the Melrose Public School District and Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School (MVMMS) “for their failure to prevent a racially hostile school environment, which led to a Black student leaving the district altogether.”

There was a demonstration outside City Hall demanding better treatment of METCO students as well. 

The release states, “The complaint was filed on behalf of David, a Black seventh grade student who was repeatedly called racial slurs and subjected to racial bias, which the school failed to investigate and act against.

“For his entire time at MVMMS, David experienced racial bullying without meaningful support or protection from Melrose administrators. The district is approximately 75 percent white, and David’s school is approximately 5.5 percent Black students. David was affiliated with the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO). Melrose accepts 117 students from METCO between kindergarten and 5th grade.”

The release from Lawyers for Civil Rights continues that several instances of severe and pervasive racial bullying are outlined in the complaint, including:

• In April 2023, David was called the N-word at lunch by a white classmate;

• In September 2023, David was called the N-word at the library by students who proceeded to physically attack him;

• In January 2024, David was called the N-word over a group chat by a classmate; and

• In January 2024, David was physically attacked near the entrance of the school by a student who called him the N-word.

“The complaint outlines violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and requests that OCR immediately investigate Melrose as a district, and MVMMS specifically, to implement remedial and corrective action to address the widespread culture of racial bullying throughout the district

“ ‘My son was driven out of Melrose Public Schools and the METCO program by the unwillingness of the administrators to take racism seriously. He was repeatedly called racial slurs and the administration did nothing but blame and discipline him, and they should be held accountable. An investigation can’t take back the trauma David faced at a formative time in his life, but it can begin the process of ensuring Melrose is better for future Black students,’ said Nita Holder, David’s mother.

“Melrose has a history of discrimination going back to 2015 when the Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation against them for similar patterns of disturbing racial bullying,” said Erika Richmond Walton, Litigation Fellow at Lawyers for Civil Rights. “Melrose did not learn its lesson after being monitored for years, and it continues to let racial bullying run rampant in their schools. Students like David should not have to flee Melrose schools.”

In addition to the case mentioned above, a young Black girl at the Winthrop School reportedly had a small section of a braided hair weave cut off by a classmate on May 28, the latest of several reports of racial targeting against the girl at the Winthrop dating to last September.