Massachusetts Mayor Sparks Outrage After Requesting Translator in Court
Lawrence, Massachusetts Mayor Brian DePena caused a stir on Friday after requesting a Spanish-language translator during a court appearance, raising serious concerns about language fluency and fitness for public office.
The unusual request came during a Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission hearing. DePena asked that his personal assistant serve as his translator, but the judge denied the motion, citing the assistant’s lack of official verification. With neither the judge nor the opposing counsel fluent in Spanish, the court warned that an uncertified translator could cause serious problems — especially in a legal case — by introducing potential mistranslations.
The hearing centered around former Lawrence Police Chief William Castro, who lost his certification following a 2024 incident involving a reckless police chase and a falsified report. Castro had reportedly driven the wrong way down a street while pursuing a suspect who allegedly cashed a bad check. In his report, however, Castro claimed he was responding to an armed bank robbery.
Further investigation revealed that DePena had allegedly tried to interfere with the probe into Castro — a known political ally. The NBC10 Boston Investigators uncovered documents showing the mayor sought to limit scrutiny of the acting police chief’s actions.
The translator incident quickly went viral, sparking widespread backlash online. Critics were stunned that an elected official — especially one representing American citizens — could not understand or communicate effectively in English.
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
“How is this even real life?” one user posted. Another wrote, “This is absurd. We live in a parody world.”
One viral comment read, “If you can’t speak English, you shouldn’t even be eligible for citizenship, much less public office. How are you supposed to represent Americans if you can’t even understand our language?”
DePena, who immigrated from the Dominican Republic in the early 1980s and moved to Lawrence in 1989, has held office in a city that is over 82% Hispanic, according to census data.
While some of DePena’s supporters argue that language accommodation is appropriate in a heavily Latino city, critics are questioning how a mayor can lead, negotiate, and govern without fluency in English — especially when public safety and legal accountability are on the line.