A city council member in Worcester, Massachusetts, who uses they/them pronouns, has taken a month-long “hiatus” to prioritize their “mental and emotional safety” because of an alleged “discriminatory and toxic council culture.”

Worcester City Council-at-Large member Thu Nguyen, who NBC Boston reported is the first openly nonbinary person elected to office in the state, wrote in a Facebook post there has been “transphobia” over the past three years.

“I am also sad to announce I will be taking a month to prioritize my mental and emotional safety as well as utilizing this time to forge a path to address this matter,” the post reads.

Nguyen claimed council member Candy Mero-Carlson, District 2, referred to them as “it” multiple times. Nguyen also accused Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty and Council-at-Large member Kathleen Toomey of publicly misgendering them on the council floor. A complaint was filed by Nguyen to the city’s Executive Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the council member said, noting they hope the chief equity officer opens an investigation and creates a plan to address the matter.

“These hateful acts are unbecoming of a legislative body whose duty is to serve our communities and to honor and enforce anti-discrimination laws,” Nguyen wrote. “My filing of a complaint’s aim is to hold electeds accountable to moral and legal standards during a vulnerable time of crisis for the LGBTQ+ community.”

Nguyen asked elected officials in Massachusetts to not ignore any harm caused by government leadership tainting the safety of Worcester residents. That leadership doesn’t hold the same values as its constituents or care for the dignity and humanity of LGBTQ+ community members, Nguyen said.

“We deserve a government that is welcoming, embraces and takes pride in our LGBTQ+ community,” Nguyen wrote, saying the ability of Worcester’s administration to act on “these discoveries” is limited.

“Therefore it is only in the hands of the community where justice and accountability can be done,” Nguyen said. “I ask that if you care about me and the LGBTQ+ community to advocate for real systemic and structural change in leadership and send a clear message that hate has no place here in Worcester especially in the elected body.”

Neither Mero-Carlson, Petty nor Toomey immediately returned a request for comment.

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.