Mark Krulish

Staff Writer, @Mark_Krulish

GLEN ROCK — A police officer who alleged he was fired because of his sexual orientation has been reinstated under a legal settlement with the borough.

Officer Matthew Stanislao was terminated from the Glen Rock Police Department in October 2014. One week later, a lawsuit was filed against the borough and Police Department, alleging a hostile work environment.

Stanislao will be reinstated to his position of patrol officer with back pay "on or before May 5, 2017," said Mayor Bruce Packer in announcing the settlement on Wednesday.

A payment in the amount of $750,000 will be made to Stanislao and his attorneys; $600,000 of that will be paid by Glen Rock's insurance carrier. The remaining $150,000 will be included in this year's budget but will not increase taxes this year, due to offsets made in the budget, Packer said.

Other terms of the settlement include eligibility for future promotion opportunities and participation in classes at the Bergen County Police Academy as found appropriate by Chief Dean Ackermann and the academy director. In exchange, all claims made by Stanislao will be dismissed. Neither party has admitted fault or liability, said Packer.

The lawsuit filed in 2014 alleged that Stanislao was harassed by other officers using derogatory comments and lewd gestures referring to his homosexuality. It also claimed Stanislao was never recognized for his meritorious service, which included rescuing two people from a mostly submerged car.

"We welcome Mr. Stanislao back to the police force in a spirit of reconciliation and a clean slate on all sides," said Packer in a statement he read at last week's council meeting. "Chief Ackermann will guide the process that will reintegrate Mr. Stanislao back into the department."

Reached for comment Monday, Charles Sciarra and Matthew Curran of Sciarra & Catrambone, the attorneys for Stanislao, released a statement on behalf of Stanislao condemning discrimination in any form in the employment decision-making process.

"Laws against discrimination make merit the only acceptable factor in employment decisions and are part of the reason New Jersey has one of the country's highest-paid and most well-trained workforces, both private and public. Officer Stanislao looks forward to the new leadership of the department directing his skills towards serving the community once again," read the statement.

Email: krulish@northjersey.com