Dear Town of Lexington, MA Select Board, School Commitee, and Superintendent Hackett,

Please join the nationwide movement  by individuals and institutions alike to close accounts with Citizens Bank because of its key role in financing private prisons. 

Although the Town of Lexington’s primary depository, checking and investment accounts are held elsewhere, Lexington maintains  checking and savings accounts with Citizens for specialized funds related to Student Activities at the School Department.  These are for the purpose of managing field trips, sports, etc. We are asking Lexington to close these accounts with Citizens Bank.

As of 2026, Citizens Bank is the leading syndicated lender of $550 million to Geo Group and in 2024 underwrote $200 million of bonds for CoreCivic. The deplorable conditions in the facilities run by each of these companies have been well documented in multiple media outlets, from denying a toddler with a respiratory infection her prescriptions to covering up routine physical abuse and sexual assault perpetrated by employees against inmates.

The people of Lexington work hard to live up to our values. Citizens Bank is violating our values. It does not matter how small or large the accounts are. It matters that we do not support an institution that finances the immiseration of human beings for profit and the erosion of basic constitutional protections. 

We urge the Town of Lexington to follow the example of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. Through organized efforts by concerned residents, the LCC board recently learned that Cafe Escadrille, the planned venue for their major fundraiser, is owned by Robert Murray—who also leases the building at 1000 District Ave in Burlington to the Department of Homeland Security for the Boston ICE Field Office. Cells are sometimes so crowded detainees are forced to sleep on concrete floors beside open toilets and are denied access to basic hygiene supplies and adequate nutrition (3). The board voted unanimously to cancel their reservation at Cafe Escadrille and take the financial hit rather than support a landlord who profits from the routine violation of due process and basic human decency. 

Please take action to close all town and school department accounts at Citizens Bank and communicate the reason why. We understand that selecting a new vendor and transferring accounts are not trivial processes. But young people are watching what the adults who are entrusted with their care and education are doing. In fact, they are setting an example for us to follow. The recent student walkout on March 9 demonstrates they are using nonviolent ways to respond to cruelty and to support due process rights. As residents of Lexington we ask you to follow suit.

Thank you for your consideration.

Photo credit: By Oeoi - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89310468