Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty is defending his conduct following accusations of misgendering and creating a toxic work culture from Councilor-at-Large Thu Nguyen.

The elected official claims they’ve been misgendered and referred to as “it” by their peers in a discriminatory pattern of toxic behavior that’s been ongoing for years.

Nguyen, the first nonbinary person elected in the state, will take a month off "to prioritize (their) mental and emotional safety."

Nguyen, who made history when they became the first openly nonbinary person to hold office in Massachusetts, is taking a hiatus from their role as a Worcester city councilor to prioritize their mental health,

In a statement released Wednesday morning, Nguyen made reference to allegations they had been misgendered by Mayor Joseph M. Petty and Councilor At-Large Kathleen Toomey on the council floor. They also mentioned "recently learning" that they had been called "it" by another councilor, District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson.

Worcester City Councilor-at-Large Kathleen Toomey wrote on X Wednesday that she made an “honest error' in addressing Councilor-at-Large Thu Nguyen, who has accused Toomey of misgendering them.

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