Officials are investigating after a Tewksbury resident sent state Rep. Tram Nguyen (D-Andover) a hate message littered with racial slurs and profanity.
“For those who want to know what it’s like to be a women of color in politics…,” Nguyen, who is the first Vietnamese American woman elected to the state legislature, said on social media. The third-term rep also included a screenshot of the email in its entirety, and said she was not even a co-sponsor on the vaccination bill referenced in the rambling tirade.
The Tewksbury Carnation, which first reported this story, said Nguyen declined to release the author’s name but asked the Tewksbury Police Department to conduct a wellness check. Nguyen’s district also includes parts of Tewksbury and Boxford.
U.S. Rep Seth Moulton (D-Salem), whose district includes Andover, praised Nguyen for posting the message.
“Political courage — a rare virtue in politics these days — runs strong through the veins of Rep. Tram Nguyen, whom I’ve always been honored to stand alongside,” Moulton wrote on X. “Proud of @TeamTram for exposing this pathetic, racist, and sexist spectator rant.”
Tewksbury’s Democratic and Republican Town Committeees, and its Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee also denounced the message.