Some Shaker Heights seniors pushing to remove high school commencement speaker

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) – Some graduating seniors at Shaker Heights High School have started a petition to have the scheduled commencement speaker removed because of their connection to a murdered teacher in the district.

Currently, former Congresswoman and retired Secretary of HUD Marcia Fudge is slated to deliver the address on June 5.

Upon learning the news, senior Catherine Monroe said, “I was devastated and extremely disappointed.”

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Monroe respects Fudge’s accomplishments but says it’s difficult to separate that from the tragic murder of one of her favorite teachers, Ms. Alisha Fraser.

“At first it was like, oh, she’s a great representative and done great things, but then I did more research and I was speechless,” said Monroe.

In 2015, then-Rep. Marcia Fudge (D) wrote a letter to Cuyahoga County prosecutors on behalf of former Judge Lance Mason, asking for leniency and calling him a “good man” after he had pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges from 2014 that included punching and choking Fraser in front of their children.

Then, after the couple divorced and Mason was given a second chance, he returned and murdered Fraser in 2018 at her home in Shaker Heights.

“It definitely hit me hard because of how much of an impact she had on me. A great teacher, an amazing teacher,” said Monroe.

Fraser taught 6th grade at Woodbury Elementary and was by all accounts beloved by all of her students, including Monroe.

“She would go out of her way to help, like if they didn’t have something like a snack she’d run down to the cafeteria to get something,” Monroe said.

After the murder, then-Rep. Fudge released a statement saying in part:

“My heart breaks for Aisha Fraser. I pray for Aisha’s family, especially her children. My Support of Lance Mason was based on the person I knew for almost 30-years. The person who committed these crimes is not the Lance Mason familiar to me. They were horrific crimes, and I condemn them.”

But even that statement hasn’t been sitting well with some Shaker Heights families.

“She condemned his actions but never apologized for writing the letter which is a problem for us and very upsetting,” said Michael Monroe, Catherine’s father who also knew and respected Fraser.

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FOX 8 reached out to the school district, but a spokesperson declined to comment at this time.

However, already more than 550 people have signed the petition within the first day.

For them, there is only one acceptable solution, especially since the class of 2024 is the last class to have been taught by Ms. Fraser.

“We like a speaker who embodies the values of Shaker and is able to support the students moving forward and me personally, I just don’t think I could sit through the graduation,” said Monroe. “The class of 2024 was the last class Ms. Fraser ever taught fully so I think that was inconsiderate and inappropriate.”

FOX 8 tried but was unable to get a comment Thursday from former Secretary Fudge.

Monroe has been inspired to pursue criminal justice upon graduation and is working with state lawmakers trying to get Aisha’s Law passed which would toughen domestic violence laws in Ohio.

You can find the petition here.

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