Woodbridge Police Officer Says He Was Bullied, Harassed On The Force

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A Woodbridge police officer is suing the department and Woodbridge Township, alleging that he was harassed and bullied for years on the police force.

The officer who filed the suit is Mario Aochou, a patrolman for the Woodbridge Police Department. He lives in Sewaren. His lawsuit was filed in Middlesex County Superior Court on July 27, from Mount Laurel-based attorney Daniel Silverman.

Aochou is also a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

According to his lawsuit, Aochou said Woodbridge police detective Kevin Goins would continually berate and tease him about his military experience. He said the teasing has been ongoing since 2015, and rose to a peak this year. He said Goins would make comments to him such as:

• "Chair Force"
• Sarcastically refer to him as a "hero"
• Told him "you wish you were a Marine"
• This detective also said to him "F— chair force. What do you know about being in combat?"

Aochou said he asked the higher-ranking officer to stop making the comments, and Goins then called him a series of names, including "p—," "f—," "c—" and other derogatory names.

He said he complained about the harassment to their sergeant, Sgt. Stephanie Anderson, who told him "I don't know what his problem is," (referring to Goins), but she failed to take any action against him, said Aochou.

Aochou said Anderson also told him if he reported Goins to anyone higher up, he would "look like an "a—."

At one point, Aochou said Goins told him to step outside Woodbridge police headquarters and challenged him to a fistfight, which Aochou said he refused to do. Later that night, he said Goins sent him a text that read "hero I still love you ... you get so sensitive."

Then on May 27 of this year, Aochou ran into Goins while picking up food at a restaurant, where Goins said he offered to shake hands but Aochou refused. He said the detective followed him out into the parking lot, where he berated him for not shaking his hand, and poked him in the chest, calling him a "p—" and a "c—." Aochou said his girlfriend tried to diffuse the situation, but the detective pushed both him and his girlfriend.

He said he reported the May 27 encounter to his superiors on WPD.

Aochou and his lawyer say the Woodbridge Police Dept. fails to train its employees on policies meant to discourage workplace harassment and bullying. He is seeking financial damages.

Woodbridge Twp. spokesman John Hagerty told Patch the Township does not comment on pending litigation, which includes any and all individuals named in the litigation. Municipalities usually do not comment on ongoing litigation.