In a moment that quickly went viral and sparked a firestorm of online backlash, Massachusetts Mayor Brian DePena requested a translator during a court hearing Friday, raising serious questions about transparency, communication, and the responsibilities of elected officials in public office.
DePena, who emigrated from the Dominican Republic and has served as the mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, asked that his personal assistant act as a Spanish-language interpreter during proceedings connected to the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission. The judge promptly denied the request, citing the assistant’s lack of formal verification as a translator and the potential risk of mistranslation — intentional or otherwise — in a legal setting where neither the judge nor opposing counsel spoke Spanish.
At the center of the hearing was the case of former Lawrence Police Chief William Castro, a political ally of DePena, who lost his policing credentials over a false report tied to a 2024 police pursuit. Castro claimed to be responding to an armed bank robbery, when in fact he had pursued a suspect accused of cashing a bad check — a sharp discrepancy that raised red flags and led to a deeper investigation.
The mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts who is from Dominican Republic gets a translator in court because he can’t understand English pic.twitter.com/9rcre4kLRN
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 22, 2025
Now, documents unearthed by NBC10 Boston suggest that Mayor DePena attempted to interfere with the investigation, a fact that’s cast even more scrutiny on his conduct during the hearing and fueled public criticism.
But it was DePena’s apparent struggle with English communication — not his alleged political meddling — that lit up social media. Many users expressed disbelief that a sitting mayor would require translation assistance in an official capacity, especially while under legal scrutiny.
One viral post read: “How is this even real life?”
Another went further: “If you can’t speak English, you shouldn’t even be eligible for citizenship, much less public office.”
Critics argue that fluency in English is not just a basic requirement for leadership — it’s an essential tool for governance, legal accountability, and representation. Others see the incident as a larger symptom of what they view as a growing disconnect between elected officials and the populations they’re supposed to serve.
Supporters of DePena have pointed out that Lawrence is over 82% Hispanic, and that the city’s multilingual, immigrant-rich community has long supported leaders who reflect their cultural background. But even among immigrant advocates, questions are emerging about how public officials can fully represent their constituents if they’re unable to participate in legal proceedings or high-level decision-making without assistance.
And while the Constitution doesn’t require English fluency for elected office, the optics and the implications are hard to ignore — especially when public trust is already fragile.
As the controversy unfolds, it’s not just about language or courtroom decorum anymore. It’s about credibility, competence, and accountability — all of which are under the microscope for Mayor DePena.
