WORCESTER, Mass. - Worcester City Councilor Thu Nguyen is taking a month-long hiatus from their seat, and accusing multiple councilors of transphobia and discrimination.

The claims were made during a discussion about remote participation at Tuesday night’s meeting. Councilor Nguyen said colleagues have used hate speech and contribute to a ‘discriminatory and toxic council culture,’ including referring to them as ‘it’.

“Under your leadership, I have felt unsafe around this council body,” Nguyen said. “I have faced transphobia with being misgendered, and recently learned that I’ve been dehumanized to a point where I am being referred to as ‘it’ by my colleagues on this council.”

Nguyen has filed a complaint with the city's Executive Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, but did not cite direct evidence about the claims at Tuesday’s meeting.

Tanya Neslusan, Executive Director of MassEquality, said she spoke to Nguyen recently and based on their private conversation anticipates an investigation will support their claims.

Neslusan said the allegations Nguyen was referred to as ‘it’ are particularly concerning.

“That’s not accidental, you don’t accidentally refer to somebody as ‘it,” Neslusan said. “That’s not something that accidentally slips out of your mouth because you’re so used to saying it so many times. That’s not a micro-aggression, that is an active, deliberate act of dehumanization.”

Upon their election to the Worcester City Council in 2021, Nguyen became the state’s first nonbinary person elected to public office.

District 2 city councilor Candy Mero-Carlson released a statement Wednesday evening in response to the allegations. It read in part, "while I do not recall making the statements in question, I acknowledge that it was a challenging and emotional week where difficult conversations took place. These claims, however, misrepresent my character, my record and the values I have consistently upheld." 

Mayor Joseph Petty also released a response writing, "I have always taken pride in leading a city that values diversity and inclusion. I remain steadfast in my commitment to creating a city where everyone feels safe, valued, and respected."