Stonington — Board of Selectmen members pointed out at their meeting Wednesday that they cannot remove members of town boards and commissions, and urged residents to get to know Board of Police Commissioners member Robert O’Shaughnessy instead of judging him on his social media posts.

The selectwomen made the comments after some residents said O’Shaughnessy, a retired state trooper, should resign after his recent controversial Facebook reposts involving race, immigration and gender and the Black Lives Matter movement.

On Sunday, First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough wrote on the town’s Facebook page that O’Shaughnessy’s commentary “is contrary to the values of our community.”

Selectwoman June Strunk said she has known O’Shaughnessy for nearly 20 years and the comments she has seen about him “do not represent the person he is.”

“The comments do not represent who he is as someone who loves this town and all who reside and visit here, and they do not represent who he is as a person who believes in giving back and volunteering, which is what he has done for the past 20 years. Before judgement is cast, take the time to get to know the person,” she said.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Chesebrough said that after speaking with O’Shaughnessy and people who have served on the board with him, she supports him finishing his final year on the board. She asked that people attend the Sept. 10 Board of Police Commissioners meeting to get to know O’Shaughnessy and the other board members.

“The online debate over the Facebook postings of Commissioner O’Shaughnessy have further demonstrated a polarizing divide. People I deeply respect have voiced opinions on opposing sides of this debate and I’m left believing that social media is a core part of this problem,” she said.

Chesebrough said that “trying to boil down complex issues into short, online commentary is ripe for misunderstandings. People are quick to judge, and less open to listening.”

“We will continue to be divided if we place higher value on social media than real, in-depth discussion,” she added.

Selectwoman Deb Downie said that “Today, we are quick to pass judgment based on a shared social media post or newspaper article without taking the time to talk with or get to know or understand the person. These non-human contact mechanisms are dividing our community.”

“Here in America we are fortunate to have First Amendment rights,” she said. “Every day I hear and read opinions that are contrary to what I personally believe. But in this country, the First Amendment gives us the right to voice or share those opinions, however contentious or divisive they may be. And it's through debate, discussion and listening to all opinions, not just the ones we like, that we grow and move forward as a community.”

Downie said that over the past couple of days she has met in person with O’Shaughnessy and talked with others who have known or worked with him for years.

“While I may not agree with what he, or what others, including people I know well, choose to post on their social media, I will not judge someone solely on that. I would encourage people to do the same, come to commission meetings, ask questions, and get to know the person before rushing to judgment.”

Also at Wednesday's meeting, Chesebrough announced an initiative to address “diversity, inclusion and sensitivity” in town. This will include bias training for town employees and board members, drafting a code of conduct for board and commission members and striving for more diversity with the members who serve on them.

At the end of Wednesday’s meeting, Chesebrough said, "I really believe we can do better than what we’ve been seeing the last few months. We’ve been too quick to judge.”

She added people need to be more compassionate and tolerant and look for the best in one another.

The board also said it would begin accepting applications from residents, regardless of party affiliation, to fill a vacancy on the Board of Police Commissioners when Chairman Henri Gourd's term expires on Oct. 31. Applications will be accepted until Sept. 31 and the board then will interview candidates.

Activist Rae’Ven Kelly Dinwoodie of Pawcatuck, who has helped lead the weekly rallies in front of the police station in support of Crystal Caldwell, the victim of an assault at a Mystic hotel, already has submitted an application.

j.wojtas@theday.com