Union Beach Cop Says She Was Harassed After Announcing Her Pregnancy, Relationship With Another Officer

UNION BEACH, NJ — A Union Beach police officer sued the town and the local police union, alleging she suffered workplace discrimination and harassment after announcing she was involved in a romantic relationship with a fellow officer, now her husband, and had become pregnant.

Mackenzie Cogliano, 26, who is employed as a Union Beach Police patrol officer but currently out on disability, filed her lawsuit May 1 in Monmouth County Superior Court. In it, she sues the town of Union Beach and Union Beach PBA Local 291.

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Cogliano has worked for the town of Union Beach since 2018, initially as a police dispatcher. She rose to full-time police officer in 2022. Her husband is currently a captain with Union Beach Police.

She alleges that in 2022, after notifying department leadership she had begun a romantic relationship with a fellow police officer and became pregnant, she was subjected to a hostile work environment and discriminatory treatment.

She said she and her then-fiance, now husband, first notified the Union Beach Police Chief, in writing, that they were romantically involved in April 2022, which was in accordance with department policy. She also said she was pregnant. She said in August of that year, the police chief and town officials held a closed-door meeting to discuss the situation.

The contents of this 'closed door' meeting were 'leaked' throughout the Union Beach Police Department and borough offices, she alleges.

"At the meeting senior Borough officials discussed having Plaintiff and her husband criminally prosecuted for (her) lawful and approved relationship, speculated about her pregnancy status, and otherwise engaged in character assassination of Plaintiff and her husband, then engaged in leaking/gossiping about same throughout the department," her lawsuit read. "Causing great humiliation and stress about her future as a police officer and severely damaging her reputation with her colleagues. On August 16, 2022 Plaintiff met with the Chief of Police who questioned Plaintiff at length about her pregnancy and her relationship, stating that the 'town attorney' was inquiring. Plaintiff was humiliated and feared for her job and her husband's following that meeting."

Cogliano further alleges that supervisors and colleagues made inappropriate comments about her pregnancy, medical appointments and family life.

"From that day forward Plaintiff was treated like a pariah in the department, being reassigned to 'light duty' supervised by two detectives, one of whom was a PBA official, for September and October due to pregnancy, however, both supervisors consistently and daily subjected Plaintiff to harassment based on her status as a pregnant women," her lawsuit continued. "For example, commenting on her pre-natal care and other medical appointments and making persistent negative comments about the same, as well as her relationship with a fellow officer."

"(She) felt humiliated and that her dream career as a police officer was being threatened for doing the most normal and natural thing, getting married and having a baby," read her lawsuit.

Cogliano says she reported the conduct to both the borough and the union, but that neither took effective action. Her lawsuit alleges that members of the police union participated in some of the gossiping and slander about her, and failed to adequately represent her.

"At an October 7, 2024 PBA meeting PBA officials stated, referring to Plaintiff, 'the only reason she got hired is because she is female' and 'we can't hire another female, what if they get pregnant' and complained that plaintiff 'takes too much time off because of the baby,'" read her lawsuit.

She said she was not present at that meeting but people who were there told her what was allegedly said, because they were offended by it.

Cogliano said she returned to work in January 2024, but through December 2025 "the hostile environment persisted with multiple incidents of harassment and bullying." She said on July 30, 2025 Union Beach Mayor Charlie Cocuzza came into the police break room and stated that he comes to the UBPD to "get the tea" on "who is sleeping with who and who is having who's baby," she said. There were three other police officers present for the comment.

Cocuzza was not sued in the lawsuit. When asked by Patch Wednesday, he said he was advised by the town's attorney not to comment on the allegation, or the lawsuit.

He deferred all questions to the lawyer who represents the town of Union Beach; that lawyer is Victoria "Vicky" Flynn, the Republican assemblywoman who represents this area in Trenton.

"The borough has no comment on pending litigation," Flynn said Wednesday.

Cogliano is the second female police officer in the history of the Union Beach Police Department. She and her husband live in Keyport and recently had their second child, according to her lawsuit. Cogliano went on maternity leave on Dec. 24, 2025 after the birth of their second child and she remains on leave and on disability today “due to her fear and anxiety” about returning to work, NJ.com reported.

Cogliano's lawsuit alleges violations of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the New Jersey Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the union's duty of fair representation under state and federal law. She says the way she was treated caused her emotional distress, damaged her career prospects and contributed to extended leaves from work. On the advice of her therapist, she started maternity leave in December of 2022 and took an extra six months of unpaid leave "due to the extreme emotional toll the prior five months had taken on her," her lawsuit said.

Her complaint seeks damages for lost wages and benefits, emotional distress and other losses, as well as punitive damages. She requests a trial by jury. Her lawyer is William Robedee, with an office in Spring Lake.