— “Castro to return to work at City Hall despite calls for his firing,” by Jill Harmacinski, The Eagle-Tribune: “Amid calls for his termination, former Provisional police Chief William Castro is set to return to work at City Hall next week as [Lawrence] Mayor Brian DePena’s chief of staff. A consultant’s report, commissioned by DePena’s administration and released early this week, recommended Castro’s termination for falsifying a police report while he was police chief and then lying about it, among other transgressions.” — “Worcester hires John Westerling as commissioner of Public Works & Parks,” by Telegram & Gazette staff: “The head of public works in Natick will be Worcester's next commissioner of Public Works & Parks. John Westerling will succeed Jay Fink, who left the post last fall. … Westerling has spent 30 years in municipal roles. Before Natick, where he was hired less than two years ago, he was the head of public works in Hopkinton and West Boylston. Earlier, he spent 15 years in Holden as a civil engineer and planner.” — “Investigation launched following Worcester councilor’s accusations of transphobia,” by Adam Bass, MassLive: “An investigation has been launched after a Worcester city councilor accused their colleagues of misgendering them and creating a “toxic environment” that has led to transphobia. … Tom Matthews, a spokesperson for City Manager Eric D. Batista confirmed to MassLive an investigative process has been launched and that a third party will conduct the investigation. Matthews did not say who the third party would be.” An investigation has been launched after a Worcester city councilor accused their colleagues of misgendering them and creating a “toxic environment” that has led to transphobia. City Councilor-at-Large Thu Nguyen, the first non-binary elected official in Worcester, said on Jan. 15 that Mayor Joseph Petty and Councilor-at-Large Kathleen Toomey misgendered them publicly on the council floor and said District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson had referred to them as “it” multiple times. Nguyen also announced on Jan. 15 that they would be taking a month-long hiatus from the council and formally requested the city’s chief equity officer to open an immediate investigation and create an action plan to address the matter. Tom Matthews, a spokesperson for City Manager Eric D. Batista confirmed to MassLive an investigative process has been launched and that a third party will conduct the investigation. Matthews did not say who the third party would be. The investigation is a civil rights investigation, according to reporting from The Boston Globe. Following Nguyen’s accusations and announcement, Petty, Mero-Carlson and Toomey have all released statements. In his statement, Petty wrote that once the mistake of misgendering Nguyen was brought to his attention, he quickly corrected himself and apologized. He also suggested the decision to mandate in-person attendance at Worcester City Council and sub-committee hearings was another reason for Nguyen’s concerns. Nguyen participated remotely at the last City Council meeting on Jan. 14. Petty, however, shared Nguyen’s concern about the need for a safe environment. “I will continue to work with the City Administration and [Worcester Police Department] to ensure the safety of all councilors during public meetings.” Petty said. “We are in a time of uncertainty, where members of the LGBTQIA+ community face real fears and challenges in simply being their authentic selves.” In a statement shared by the Talk of the Commonwealth radio show on X, Mero-Carlson said Nguyen “has chosen to distort the narrative and weaponize these accusations for political purposes, rather than engaging in constructive dialogue that serves the best interests of Worcester’s residents.” Toomey also posted a statement on X that reads she made an “honest error” in addressing Nguyen. Nguyen, however, pushed back on the statements made by Petty and Mero-Carlson. They released a follow-up statement that reads the two individuals “deflect and gaslight through real accountability around the transphobia and discrimination I have experienced.” “And so reducing my experience with transphobia and the discriminatory and toxic culture to just a discussion about remote access for public officials is an act to delegitimize my efforts for accountability and care for the humanity of the LGBTQ+ community,” Nguyen said in their statement. Nguyen did not mention Toomey in their statement. Nguyen’s accusations and hiatus announcement have resulted in several responses from other city councilors, local elected officials and organizations in Worcester. “As Vice Chairman, I envision a better future for the Trans and gender non-conforming folks, both within the City Council Chambers and in the wider community,” wrote City Council Vice Chair and Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King. “As public officials, we are called to equally commit to fostering a civic environment that protects our members and participants from any semblance of political hostility while denouncing any behavior that contributes to dehumanization or othering.” State Sen. Robyn Kennedy, D-1st Worcester, posted a statement on Facebook on Jan. 16 in response to Nguyen’s accusations, saying that leaders must stand up against harmful anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric. “Worcester can be the welcoming city we all want it to be,” Kennedy wrote. “Let’s collectively do that work.” Pride Worcester, a collaborative effort between organizations and members of the Greater Worcester LGBTQ+ community, released a statement on Instagram in solidarity with Nguyen on Jan. 16. In the post, the collaborative called for a “sincere and public apology from any elected official who has misgendered, belittled, or perpetuated transphobia toward Councilor Nguyen.” The collaborative also called for an investigation by the chief equity officer. “Attacks rooted in ignorance and prejudice have no place in our city,” the post reads. “We condemn any rhetoric or actions that harm our LGBTQ+ community members.” “Mayor: Groups finding shelter from extreme cold for all,” by Ethan Forman, The Gloucester Daily Times.
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