Much of our penal system works on the idea that criminals, no matter how far-gone they may seem, can eventually be rehabilitated and become productive members of society. Ultimately though, this outlook on things ends up being more naive than possible in practice.
Some criminals are just too violent or mentally unstable to give up the life of crime when they are released. What’s more, because of the nature of our penal system, some of those incarcerated end up worse off than when they went in. Others just aren’t sorry for what they did, no matter what they profess.
Police Response
The Shaker Heights Police Department had once again been dispatched to Aisha Fraser’s house. They had come out there several years earlier to find the woman beaten bloody by her estranged husband. It was a gruesome scene at the time, but the 911 call that had come in earlier that day made it seem like this time was much, much worse.
School Teacher
Aisha Fraser was a schoolteacher for the Shaker Heights district for more than 16 years. She taught elementary school at Woodbury Elementary and her two children, aged 8 and 11, were part of the same school system. She was soft-spoken and compassionate, especially when encountering children with special needs.
Building an Environment
Ms. Fraser was the type of teacher that any student would feel lucky to have. She worked diligently to maintain what she considered a “family environment” for her students. She wanted to become a touch point for the students who needed that extra bit of love and understanding in their early education careers.
Unbelievable
Her infectious, ready smile and hearty laugh were a light in the darkness for overwhelmed students and complacent staff members alike. It was because of all these things that the entire Shaker Heights community were so saddened to learn that her life of generosity had ended so abruptly and violently at the hands of someone she’d once trusted.
Sordid Details
Initially, the details about Aisha Fraser’s murder were obfuscated by the police. Not only were the sordid details about the stabbing too unpleasant to conceive of, but they also revealed a rather egregious oversight in the local penal system. But to truly understand what led to Aisha’s end, one must understand the years leading up to it.
A Cryptic Warning
That morning, the 911 call came in from a woman who identified herself as the sister of one Lance Mason. She had spoken to her brother earlier and the 51-year-old former judge had confided in her that he had stabbed his ex-wife outside her home. Not only that, but he also told her that he thinks she might be dead as a result.
Judge Mason
Up until a few years ago. Lance Mason had been a successful judge and a pillar of the family’s small Shaker Heights community. He had also served as a former member of the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives. Like most politicians though, Mason’s private life had its share of skeletons.
Domestic Abuse
In 2014, Mason and his wife had an argument in their car. Their two children, aged 4 and 6, at the time, were sitting in the back seat. The argument soon devolved into a fight and Mason proceeded to punch Aisha more than 20 times before slamming her head against the dashboard of the car five more times.
Reconstructive Surgery
The attack was so violent that Aisha ended up needing facial reconstructive surgery afterward. Mason was removed from the bench and when the case finally went to court, he soon found himself sitting on the other end of the courtroom for once. With no other alternatives before him, Mason pleaded guilty to attempted felonious assault and domestic violence.
Reasons Enough
Mason was sentenced to two years in prison for the assault. Aisha had filed for divorce two days after the incident and though the case was still pending when the sentence was given, had already moved herself and her daughters to their own place. She also sued Mason in civil court and was awarded $150,000.
Nine Months
In 2015, less than a year after he was sent to prison, Mason was released. He had served a scant nine months of his two-year sentence. He was angry at his ex-wife, that much was clear, but he had his own problems to worry about first. After paying Aisha off, he needed to find himself a job.
New Job
His once-respectable resume was going to count for very little with his newfound criminal record … or so one would believe. As it happened, fortune was about to smile upon Mason in the form of a much better position than someone with his track record probably deserved.
Qualifications
Before long, he found himself hired as the Minority Business Development Administrator in Cleveland’s Office of Equal Opportunity. He’d beat out 15 other candidates and was set to make $45,000 a year. Apparently, the city officials who hired him hired him based on his application and qualifications, they had no idea about his criminal record.
Apologies
That’s not to say that Mason hadn’t at least tried to make amends while he was in prison. In fact, the letter of apology he wrote to Aisha from inside may have actually contributed greatly in his position for early release. In it, Mason admitted that he had “failed as a husband, father, and a man.” Even from the onset, it seemed heartfelt.
Bad Example
The letter went on to read, “Instead of loving, protecting and providing for you and our daughters, I have provided a terrible example, and exposed you to rage and violence.” It seems that all these impassioned words were naught but lies in the end, because barely a few years after his release, Mason killed his wife.
Car Crash
Then, when confronted by the heinous act by police, Mason tried to flee from the scene. He ran to his SUV and hit the gas, eventually plowing into a police cruiser and seriously injuring a police officer’s lower legs and ribs in the resultant crash. Mason wasn’t done, however…
Run Away
Mason leaped from the car and began to book it on foot. Unfortunately for the 51-year-old, he was in no shape to outrun trained police officers. Both Mason and the injured officer were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated. He was arrested and charged with murder and felonious assault in the auto accident he caused which injured the officer.
Termination
Almost immediately after news of the murder hit the airwaves, Mason was terminated by the City of Cleveland minority-business administration. His new employer even released a statement to acknowledge their position on the matter and to clarify for the world that he had been terminated “effective immediately.”
Closed
While Mason awaits trial, the rest of the Shaker Heights community mourns the loss of Woodbury Elementary’s finest. Though the school buildings were originally closed for professional learning days for teachers, they will now be closed so that school counselors can offer grief counseling for staff, students and their families.
Extraordinary Woman
Scott Stephens, a spokesman for Shaker Heights schools, spoke about Aisha to the press following. “It touches so many people in so many ways, and her life was really a testament to the difference a teacher and an individual can make in the lives of others. … She was an extraordinarily talented educator, and wonderful mother, neighbor and friend to so many.”
Difficult
John Morris, president of the Shaker Heights Teachers’ Association, also spoke about how much Aisha’s killing has devastated the city. Of course, it has also been particularly devastating for the two children she leaves behind; children who won’t even have their father either after all is said and done.
Stronger
Morris added that when the initial assault happened in 2014, the majority if their community backed Aisha’s position. Though the emotional and physical damage had been extensive, they helped her to get over the trauma and eventually return to teaching a stronger mother and educator than she had been before.
Mayoral Condolence
Even Cleveland’s mayor came forward to express his condolences. “I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Ms. Aisha Fraser, especially to her children,” Mayor Frank G. Jackson said in a recent statement. Perhaps it is because he was among the individuals who hired Jackson to work in the government in 2017.
Broken Hearts
“Everyone saw her recover and saw her thrive the last few years; to see this happen tore the hearts out of all of us.” Morris explained. It truly is a sad thing to imagine that Aisha Fraser went through so much, overcame so much, only to meet her end at the hands of an attacker that she’d thought herself finally safe from.
