‘A drug addict pedophile. That’s all you are’ Councilwoman urged to resign following tirade against mayor

A Trenton city councilwoman is being urged to resign after getting into a profanity-laced homophobic argument with the city’s mayor.

News 12 Staff

May 4, 2020, 9:36 PM

Updated 1,612 days ago

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A Trenton city councilwoman is being urged to resign after getting into a profanity-laced homophobic argument with the city’s mayor.
The argument took place over the phone during the council’s daily COVID-19 pandemic briefing. Councilwoman Robin Vaughn’s words are mostly targeted at Mayor Reed Gusciora, who is openly gay.
“Robin, I’m curious as to what you deem a ‘do-nothing nonprofit,’” the mayor is heard asking on the recording.
“The ones that you repeatedly give funds to and there are no outcomes,” Vaughn responds. “Trenton Health Team. What have they done for the past 15 years?”
Gusciora is then heard telling Vaughn that she “runs her mouth.” And this is when the tone of the argument changes.
“A [expletive] drug addict pedophile. That’s all you are. A pedophile. You need to get the [expletive] out of the office and get the [expletive] out of Trenton,” Vaughn said.
The mayor is heard fighting back. “You need a lobotomy, you little [expletive],” he said.
“It’s very hateful and hurtful. It has no place in public decorum,” Gusciora tells News 12 New Jersey. “And we are just trying to work together and continually she throws up roadblocks and causes dissension among the rest of the council.”
Gov. Phil Murphy has suggested that the councilwoman resign. A spokesperson for the Murphy administration said in a statement, "Hateful language is never acceptable, and audio of the Trenton conference call demonstrates multiple parties engaging in an inappropriate and deeply troubling exchange. Gov. Murphy condemns the hateful and homophobic comments made by Councilwoman Vaughn in the strongest terms."
LGBTQ rights group Garden State Equality says, "Councilwoman Vaughn is unfit to serve the people of Trenton. There's no need to parse words here for her hateful anti-LGBTQ language…she must resign."
Vaughn did not respond to requests for comment regarding the recording.
The Trenton City Council has not yet spoken as a unit as to whether they believe the councilwoman should step down.