A sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former police office against the town of Glen Rock, New Jersey, has been ordered into mandatory mediation.

Former officer Matthew Stanislao filed a sexual harassment suit against the town in late 2014, claiming that he was harassed, discriminated against, and ultimately fired because he is homosexual. He named both the town and the police department in the suit, and claims that other officers made comments about him and his sexual preferences, took actions that undermined his ability to do his job, and that his complaints were met with disinterest and hostility from his superiors. The suit alleges that these actions began in 2005.

He also claims that he was specifically prevented from participating in drug awareness programs because the police department did not wish to put him in contact with children. He also claims that he was never recognized for meritorious service despite being eligible on several occasions.

The town and police department have not commented on the lawsuit and have not made public the official cause of Stanislao’s termination. Each is being represented by their own separate counsel, although they are working jointly to defend against the suit.

If the mediation does not produce a settlement, the lawsuit will head back into the courts and proceed. The Glen Rock town council held a closed session on April 6^th but would not confirm that the subject of the confidential session was the Stanislao lawsuit.