Nicholas Leon Melrose

The recent firing of Nicholas Leon as the city elections administrator in Melrose, Massachusetts, is a troubling development. Leon took over from Joanne Perperian, who was abruptly ousted from the position earlier this summer. Perperian had previously been the assistant city clerk and was responsible for handling many election duties.

Before he was fired, Leon was given notice of performance issues, and even signed a piece of paper that outlined those concerns. But the firing was still incredibly embarrassing, and it was a heartbreaking day for Leon. While it’s not the most appropriate time to fire an employee, the fact that Foote did not give him a chance to say goodbye to his co-workers was heartbreaking and humiliating.