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Brookline Select Board split on reappointing Chi Chi Wu to diversity commission
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Summary
The Select Board failed to reappoint Chi Chi Wu to the Commission on Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Community Relations after a heated discussion about social‑media posts and community concerns; the motion produced a split vote with no majority.
A divided Brookline Select Board on Dec. 2 failed to reappoint Chi Chi Wu to the town's Commission on Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Community Relations after members said her past social‑media posts had undermined the commission's mission.
The Select Board debated a public letter from resident Jesse Hefter and other community feedback that described posts it characterized as denying or downplaying atrocities on Oct. 7 and as accusing Israel of intentionally killing children in Gaza. Select Board member Paul (last name recorded in the meeting packet) read Hefter's letter into the record and said he "strongly oppose[d] the reappointment of miss Chi Chi Wu," arguing that the posts "are harmful falsehoods that fuel hatred, retraumatize victims, and make Jewish residents in Brookline feel unsafe and unwelcome."
Several board members said they had received calls and emails from residents, particularly in the Jewish community, expressing alarm. "After considering miss Wu's statements and how they have been received by members of our community and specifically our Jewish community, I do not believe that her reappointment would strengthen the commission's ability to advance its mission," one member said during the discussion.
Other members urged caution. Chair Bernard Green said the town must be careful about what he called "cancel culture," and he asked the board to weigh representation: "Chi Chi . . . does represent in an important way the Asian community," Green said, noting the importance of maintaining diverse voices on the commission. Another member asked for context around an emoji included with an online post and said the emoji might change the tone or intent of the message.
No apology or corrective public statement by Chi Chi Wu was recorded in the meeting. After extended discussion, a motion to reappoint Wu failed to pass: board members recorded votes of No, No, Yes and Yes, which produced no majority. The Chair said the split vote means she was not appointed at this meeting.
Next steps: The board recorded the split vote and indicated it would "deal with it" in follow-up, but no new appointment was made at the meeting.
