Yonkers City Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac has filed a human resources complaint against the woman who sits next to her in the chamber, Majority Leader Tasha Diaz.

The letter, obtained by News 12, accuses Diaz of a pattern of threatening Pineda-Isaac and creating an "extremely hostile" work environment dating back at least to 2022.

The most serious complaint allegedly happened on Jan. 2, 2024, after Pineda-Isaac described why she would not be voting to allow Diaz to continue as the council's majority leader during the council's annual reorganization meeting. According to the letter, Pineda-Isaac was told that Diaz said that she was going to "slit my throat" after the meeting.

The complaint outlines other alleged threatening incidents, like discussing starting a "physical altercation" at a community event, cursing out Pineda-Isaac in front of members of the public at City Hall and an audio recording that appears to show Diaz telling an aide that she would "slap the taste" out of Pineda-Isaac's mouth.

Pineda-Isaac declined an on-camera interview but responded to News 12's request to comment on the allegations, saying, “Elected officials need to be held to a higher standard. Threatening to slit someone’s throat and knock the taste out of someone’s mouth is violent language that crosses a line. This is beyond speaking with emphasis. It’s hostile and it needs to be addressed. I hope that my coming forward creates a space for anyone who works for the City of Yonkers to know they too can share their experiences safely.”

Diaz also declined News 12's request for an on-camera interview regarding the allegations. In a statement sent to News 12, Diaz did not deny what she is accused of saying, but said the "language was taken out of context." Diaz released the following statement:

"As an elected official and a proud Yonkers resident, I have always attempted to maintain professional conduct. In politics and while fighting for the residents of my district, I often speak hyperbolically as I am very passionate for fighting for the people of my district. Language taken out of context does not give the full picture and is mainly used as metaphors. If language used has ever offended anyone, I apologize. However, it is important to note, Councilwoman Pineda-Isaac’s claims are merely sour grapes after her dismal showing in the 2023 Mayoral Primary election, where not one democratic colleague on the council supported her candidacy. Notably, during the 2022 City Council Reorganization, a majority of the City Council decided to no longer support Pineda-Isaac as Majority Leader. Additionally, in the 2024 City Council Reorganization, a majority of the City Council decided to no longer give, third-term Councilwoman, Pineda-Isaac a committee chairmanship after she failed to call a committee meeting for the past 2 years.

While Councilwoman Pineda-Isaac is wasting city resources and taxpayer money on a retaliatory complaint without merit for the lack of political support she has received, I look forward to continue to work diligently with all my colleagues on the Council to deliver for the people of Yonkers. I was honored and thankful to win re-election this past November with over 80% of the votes. In the next 4 years as a Councilwoman, I look forward to continue to fully fund our schools, grow the smart development throughout our city, and improve on the quality of life issues associated with a growing city."

A spokesperson for the Yonkers mayor's office and City Hall told News 12, "Taking into account the City Council is a separate branch of government, the administration takes this matter seriously. The city’s HR department plans to meet with Councilwoman Pineda-Isaac to hear her concerns.”

Pineda-Isaac asked the city's Human Resources Commissioner Carlos Moran for "the necessary steps to be taken to fix this."