Judge upholds lawsuit against Haddon Twp.

CAMDEN – A former Haddon Township police officer has won a round in a lawsuit claiming he was improperly terminated and faced sexual harassment.

A state judge on Friday rejected a motion by defendants to dismiss the complaint, according to a lawyer for former officer Jason DeMent.

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“The case will proceed and Mr. DeMent looks forward to having his day in court,” Zachary Wall, a Haddonfield attorney, said Tuesday.

He said the defense request was rejected “in its entirety" by Superior Court Judge Francisco Dominguez.

An attorney for Haddon Township, Christine O'Hearn, said the ruling "was not a substantive decision on the merits of Mr. Dement’s claims."

"The township denies the allegations, intends to continue to vigorously defend the case and will again seek dismissal of the case later in the litigation," she said.

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DeMent, who joined Haddon Township’s police department in April 2004, lost his job in October 2015 after developing a degenerative eye disease that limited his driving.

According to his lawsuit, DeMent asked to continue with the department on desk duty while he pursued treatment for his illness. The suit alleges his request was denied because he had rebuffed sexual advances from Police Chief Mark Cavallo.

DeMent sued the township and Cavallo in federal court, Camden, in August 2015. The case moved to state court after a U.S. District Court judge dismissed the sole federal claim in November.

The suit, which also alleges violations of the state Law Against Discrimination, seeks back pay, reinstatement and unspecified damages for DeMent.

Jim Walsh; (856) 486-2646; jwalsh@gannettnj.com