SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Effective immediately, the NAACP’s national chapter suspended San Diego branch president Francine Maxwell on Monday. In a letter sent to the local office, leaders say the move was necessary because Maxwell refused to comply with their orders. Maxwell's supporters say she did nothing wrong.
“She has nothing but integrity,” said Clovis Honoré. “She is incredibly brilliant. She has a mind that retains all kinds of information.”
Honoré said Maxwell has been a champion for the black community in San Diego and is now being unfairly targeted by the NAACP's national office.
“We have not been given a clear and decisive reason why this branch is under administration," said Honoré.
Maxwell, who is currently unavailable due to a death in her family, was told Monday that she was suspended for not complying with orders. Among the issues cited – she didn’t add the name of a national administrator Alphonso Bragg to the local chapter's bank account. Honoré said there is nothing in the organization’s constitution that allows for the national chapter to be added to a local chapter’s bank account.
“Meeting after meeting and in writing - Mr. Alphonso Bragg has said multiple times there is no problem with what we found in the finances,” he said. “So then the question becomes - why is it that you think you need to be in charge of the finances?”
Honoré, who was ousted as the local branch's president last year for reasons that still haven't been publicly disclosed, believes Maxwell is being punished for not seeing eye to eye with the national chapter. He cited Maxwell not supporting then San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Martin for the post of Education Secretary in the Biden administration, a move the national chapter endorsed.
“San Diego Unified School District has a terrible reputation on equity and suspensions and expulsions of Black children and children of color,” Honoré said of Maxwell’s decision.
Maxwell also has the support of Brian Bonner, the local chapter's First Vice President, who issued the following statement:
"I was surprised and disappointed to see the action taken by National NAACP today. We will support Ms. Maxwell as she appeals this unwarranted action. The branch will continue its important work during these challenging times."
Honoré believes Maxwell should immediately be reinstated as president and is owed an apology. News 8 reached out multiple times to the NAACP’s national office for a comment, but they did not respond to requests as of Tuesday night.