Norwich — Alderwoman Joanne Philbrick opened Monday’s City Council meeting reading the start of a letter she had penned that said: “I, Joanne Philbrick, the duly elected member of the City Council of the city of Norwich, do hereby vacate my seat effective immediately.”

But she quickly said she has neither dated nor signed the letter and called it “my wildcard.”

Philbrick has been widely criticized since the May 6 City Council meeting, when she stated during a contentious debate over school funding that modern education was “taxpayer funded day care.” The comment angered teachers, parents, school administrators and school supporters, who called it hurtful.

Philbrick, a Republican, said Monday that her comment was misconstrued, and she was not aiming her comment at teachers and their duties. She said during the past two weeks, she has received threats, and people have driven by her house and yelled obscenities.

She even asked Police Chief Patrick Daley to have a second police officer staff Monday’s council meeting – normally, one officer attends council meetings.

“It was my intention when I wrote this to walk away from this toxic, vigilante, vicious, hatemonger, lynch-mob mentality, because that’s the only way that I can describe it,” Philbrick said.

Philbrick in January made a public disclosure, also during a council meeting, admitting she had become addicted to opioid painkillers when she was prescribed heavy doses of the painkillers after she had fallen and broken her femur. She relayed how her doctors advised her to recover “cold turkey,” and called it the most difficult time of her life.

She repeated Monday that she remains in chronic pain daily but will not take opioids. She said that last August she fell sick and was surprised to learn she was suffering from opioid withdrawal.

Philbrick said “Jessica” on Facebook posted a comment to Philbrick saying: “I think it’s time to lay off the opioids.” Philbrick called that a “cruel, insensitive, ignorant comment.”

Another comment was made by a volunteer firefighter at a recent Public Safety Committee meeting, who said to her: “Joanne, how did you get past the heroin task force checkpoint, with your history.”

She quoted another posted comment from “Mark” – not a Norwich resident, she said – in reference to her career as a 911 dispatcher that “what do you know, all you ever did was answer a phone.” Philbrick said she was a “highly decorated and highly trained 911 dispatcher,” including working an active shooter incident.

“Then he called me a ‘stupid bitch,’” Philbrick said.

Philbrick said she will remain in office, although she has no plans to seek re-election in fall. She noted that she sits in the center seat in Council Chambers in between three Democrats and three Republicans, and she considers herself an independent thinker.

“My goal is to stay here as long as I can,” Philbrick said, “but if the threats and the intimidation factors continue, and that’s what they want, they want to push me out. I have many people come and say to me ‘don’t go, that’s what they want.’ But I have been pushed to a place that is darker than you would want to think about. …

"If their intention was to hurt me, congratulations you have succeeded. I was hurt to the core, but you didn’t break me. You didn’t break me. I’m strong. I will continue to be outspoken, critical and opinionated.”

c.bessette@theday.com