CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (AP) – The city council in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield has voted unanimously to censure the mayor for what it calls inappropriate and abusive language in conversations with city officials.

Some members of the council praised Mayor Bob Nation Wednesday night for his fiscal leadership, but still voted for the censure, which passed 7-0. Nation was accused of using “hostile and intimidating language” during private discussion with the town’s economic development director and at least one other employee in July.

Nation told the council that the censure was an effort to publicly humiliate him and drive him out of office. He said there was no legal basis for it.