Groton — After one of its members made comments about Sunday's youth-organized Black Lives Matter protest, then apologized, the Representative Town Meeting is publicly supporting racial equity and bias education for town officials.

The RTM voted late Wednesday that town officials, specifically RTM members, be offered the opportunity for the training. The town previously had approved $40,000 for diversity workshops in the upcoming year’s budget, but RTM members said they wanted to make a public show of their support and commitment to seek out the training as soon as it is available.

“I believe that racism has no place in Groton and in light of recent events taking place nationally and in Groton, I would like to propose that town officials and members of the Groton government are offered the opportunity for bias education and racial equity education to address issues of racism, prejudice, bias and discrimination,” RTM member Jennifer Desillier-Fleming said in making the motion Wednesday.

“We all have blind spots and implicit bias,” she added. “Educating ourselves to be able to identify these can only have a positive effect on our work as an RTM and for Groton at large. In the past we have discussed how to meet with our constituents, but I do not believe we have received any guidance about how to go about this. We need to keep it in the front of our minds that we represent the people of our districts, not simply our own personal interests.”

The RTM’s vote comes on the heels of nationwide protests of racial injustice, as well as comments made by member Rosanne Kotowski about the Black Lives Matter protest. In an email to the town manager and town mayor, Kotowski asked questions about the protest and wondered if “the town can just tell black lives matter they cannot come to Groton because we cannot accommodate them financially?”

Town Councilor Aundré Bumgardner posted Kotowski’s comments in a Facebook post about exposing bigotry. Kotowski apologized for her comments, and the Republican Town Committee issued a statement in support of Black Lives Matter.

While some had called for Kotowski to resign, RTM members did not raise the topic during Wednesday's meeting.

During public comment at the meeting, resident Christine Olivier said she was appalled by Kotowski’s comments and was speaking “to make sure that those who didn’t condone her behavior in private, condemn it in public.”

“She claimed she didn’t want the movement to come to Groton,” Olivier said. “The movement is Groton. A thousand people turned out to lawfully march behind those youth on Sunday despite her opposition, and those youth organized that in less than a week. Can you imagine what they’ll be capable of in two weeks or two years? Representative Kotowski presented a rationale based on her view of the riots and looting of other protests in other communities and, in doing so, applied blind judgment against members of her own constituency. Representative Kotowski works for all citizens, including those students who lawfully filed for the right to air their grievances on the steps of City Hall.”

Michael Whitehouse, who wanted to “speak more generally on the issue we’re facing as a town and as a society,” said that when people speak in ignorance, it’s an opportunity for teaching.

“People who tragically have gone their entire lives failing to really come to understand the situations of people different from themselves, people who have been the victims of a narrow worldview propagated by certain media sources, these people can finally have a moment of learning which can bring them from ignorance to understanding,” Whitehouse said. “In the next few weeks we’re going to encounter many people acting in unrealized ignorance. Some things they say will make us very angry and rightfully so. However, anger leads to more anger but changing minds leads to change.”

Also during public comment, correspondence was read aloud from resident Linda Bryant, who said she was aware of calls for Kotowski’s resignation and hoped "this storm will pass over." She said Kotowski in her years representing the town has been a “very good voice of reason for helping the people of this town to make a stand for fiscal responsibility.”

In another letter, former RTM member Anni Rodgers said she hopes Kotowski recognizes the moment as "a unique opportunity to stop talking and start listening to all of the people of Groton, not just her conservative constituents" and wished Kotowski had asked questions, such as is "the RTM doing everything in its power to welcome and encourage more diversity?"

Rodgers encouraged the RTM to consider a proposal to have the town reimburse any RTM and Town Council member for child care expenses incurred in order to carry out their duties. “To encourage more single parents, military spouses, women, and people of color to participate in our town government, we must destroy the barriers that have kept them out for far too long,” she wrote.

In discussions over the racial education and bias training, RTM member Ian Thomas, who had called for Kotowski’s resignation in a comment on www.theday.com, said the RTM wants to make a public statement that it wants this training for its members and also believes it is right for the whole town and should be available to everyone and publicly known.

The logistics for the training are still being worked out, but Town Manager John Burt said the budgeted funds are for a consulting firm to provide diversity, equity and inclusion workshops to town staff, town officials and anyone interested in town. Officials also discussed the possibility of a speaker coming to the RTM.

On the broader issue of police accountability, RTM Moderator Syma Ebbin said she wants to know about the racial equity and de-escalation policies of the town, city and Groton Long Point police departments. Groton Town police Chief L.J. Fusaro Jr. is slated to present to the Town Council on June 23, and Ebbin said she would like him to speak with the RTM.

RTM member Beverly Washington also asked if an RTM member could join the town’s Diversity Committee.

Burt said the town would appreciate RTM representation on the town’s Diversity Committee. He said there will be a presentation on the committee to the Town Council in July. The training was recommended by the committee, he said.

Impressed by Sunday’s youth-organized protest, RTM member Chase Foster said he plans to submit a written proposal to have a high school student serve as an ex-officio member of the RTM.

k.drelich@theday.com