Cambridge residents are calling for Councilor Paul Toner to step down after he was charged in the brothel “johns” sex case, saying that him staying on the board “erodes public trust.”

Toner, who’s the former president of the Massachusetts teachers union, is one of dozens of men charged with buying sex from a busted Boston-area brothel ring.

Three leaders of the ring have pleaded guilty to related crimes, including sex trafficking. Twenty-eight men total are expected to be named as “johns,” and Toner is the only public official revealed so far.

Ahead of Monday’s Cambridge City Council meeting, several residents weighed in on whether Toner should resign or stay on the board. The residents wrote emails to the City Council and City Clerk about Toner.

“I am deeply concerned about the allegations brought against Paul Toner in the Cambridge Brothel situation,” resident Ann Fleck-Henderson wrote. “He is a public official, entrusted with upholding the law and, hopefully, protecting the most vulnerable among us. He is now implicated in harming the most vulnerable.

“His continued presence on the Council erodes public trust and… provides a very flawed model of public service to our young people interested in the city and its governance,” the resident added. “If Paul Toner continues to refuse resignation, I request that the Council consider his removal from his Cambridge City Council seat. There are many capable people in the City who could fill that position.”

Toner was stripped of five committee chair and co-chair titles after he was charged last month. He had been the chair of the ordinance and government operations committees. He was also the co-chair of the public safety, finance, and economic development and university relations committees.

Some public officials have been calling for Toner’s resignation.

“I believe that we are all much more than the worst things we have ever done,” resident Suzanna Schell wrote in an email. “At the same time, Councillor Toner has abused the trust that we the citizens of Cambridge have placed in him and he must resign.”

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Other residents are sticking in Toner’s corner despite the allegations, saying he should remain on the council.

“Paul has made a mistake in his life and will have to live with that for the rest of his life,” Thomas Anninger wrote. “His mistake has nothing to do with his role on the city council. He is an exceptionally effective city councillor who represents his constituents faithfully and conscientiously.

“In situations like this compassion is what is called for,” Anninger added. “Calls for his resignation are entirely political. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone!”