Solet Calls for Reform to Massachusetts Hate Crimes Law

Says serious acts of racial and religious hatred should carry serious consequences

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MA — Democratic candidate for Middlesex District Attorney David Solet is calling for Massachusetts to strengthen its hate crimes laws, arguing that acts of racial and religious hatred should be treated as serious offenses rather than dismissed as misdemeanors.

“Hate crimes are an outrage that threaten the fabric of our communities and our society,” said Solet. “Serious crimes should have serious consequences. When someone deliberately targets a family because of their race or religion, the law should recognize the seriousness of that conduct. As District Attorney, I will use the voice and influence of this office to call for meaningful reform and make clear that hate and intimidation have no place in Middlesex County.”

The need for reform has become increasingly urgent as hate crimes have risen across the country. According to the FBI, reported hate crimes more than doubled between 2015 and 2024, increasing from 5,818 incidents to 11,679.

Yet Massachusetts law continues to impose comparatively weak penalties for certain acts of racial and religious intimidation. Under current law, such conduct is generally classified as a misdemeanor when it does not result in direct physical injury.

That means an act as deeply threatening as burning a cross on a Black family’s lawn can carry a lower classification than offenses such as advertising an unlicensed daycare or certain shellfishing violations.

“This is not an academic issue,” Solet said.

In 2023, a woman was charged with intentionally leaving swastikas on the lawn of a Jewish family in Stoneham. Three years after the crime occurred in Middlesex County, it remains classified as a misdemeanor under Massachusetts law.

Solet said the incumbent Middlesex District Attorney has had 13 years in office to push for meaningful change but has never called for treating serious acts of racial and religious hatred as serious offenses.

The incumbent did file legislation in 2024 seeking to amend the state’s hate crimes statute and re-filed the bill in 2025 after it failed to pass. But the legislation would continue to classify acts of racial intimidation as misdemeanors, while requiring people convicted of such offenses to complete a “diversity awareness program.”

Solet said that approach does not go far enough and fails to address the fundamental problem with the existing law: serious acts of hate remain classified as misdemeanors.

Solet said District Attorneys have a responsibility to do more than enforce the laws currently on the books. They should also use their position to advocate for reforms when existing laws fail to adequately protect their communities.

Middlesex County deserves a District Attorney who will stand up for every community and fight to ensure that acts of racial and religious hatred are treated with the seriousness they deserve.

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