The discrimination case of a former Scotland Neck police officer who is suing the town has been selected for mediation, according to a document filed in the federal court record Monday.

Other than directing parties to a list of certified mediators for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the document gives no further details.

The complaint was filed in the United States Eastern District of North Carolina court by Charlotte-based attorney Chance D. Lynch on behalf of Marcus Morris, a Black officer, who was hired by the town’s police department in January of 2018 and worked there through last October. Morris is currently a Roanoke Rapids police officer.

In the request for a jury trial, Lynch noted that he is seeking judgment for compensatory damages in excess of $1,500,000 for his client.

The civil complaint charges that Morris “was a good and faithful employee and served in his job with distinction,” but alleges that he was subjected to discrimination based on his race and retaliation.

Mediation is used to secure the just, speedy and inexpensive resolution of the controversies while preserving the right of all parties to a conventional trial. 

Mediation is designed to focus the parties' attention on settlement rather than on trial preparation and to provide a structured opportunity for settlement negotiations to take place. Nothing in this process is intended to limit or prevent the parties from engaging in settlement procedures voluntarily at any time.