TOMS RIVER, N.J. – Toms River has agreed to settle a longstanding sexual harassment case between former openly gay business administrator Don Guardian and former Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill, and other members of Hill’s administration, including allied democrats.
After nearly four years of court filings, depositions, and public controversy, Toms River Township has quietly settled the wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former Business Administrator Don Guardian, bringing an end to a bitter legal fight that exposed allegations of homophobia, political infighting, and misconduct at the highest levels of township government under Mayor Hill.
Current Mayor Dan Rodrick today said a court battle would have cost the township millions of dollars in legal fees and would have ended in Guardian’s favor in the end.
“The township would’ve gotten crushed at trial,” Mayor Rodrick said in a statement. “It’s pretty clear that Mo Hill and Lou Amoruso discriminated against Guardian for being an openly gay man. Mr. Guardian took the position just a few months before I was sworn in on the town council, and he was working to put the township back on a fiscally sustainable path.
Guardian will receive a $690,000 settlement. Mayor Hill and others were on record calling Guardian a “f-ggot”, “pillow biter”, and a “fruit”. Former Business Administrator Amoruso said on multiple occasions, he did not feel comfortable in the presence of Guardian, because he was a homosexual.
The settlement closes a case that pitted Guardian — the former Atlantic City mayor and one of New Jersey’s first openly gay Republican officials — against then-Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill, several township council members, and Guardian’s successor, former State Trooper Louis Amoruso.
Hill defended his comments and say they were not made, “Because he is gay,” but that he just felt more comfortable with Amoruso, a straight man.
Guardian had alleged that he was wrongfully terminated after returning from medical leave in 2020, claiming he was subjected to a hostile and discriminatory work environment because of his sexual orientation. Township officials repeatedly denied those claims throughout the protracted litigation.
“He was a good administrator and I want to apologize to him on behalf of the Township of Toms River,” Rodrick said. “No one should be treated that way because of who or what they are. I’m sorry they treated him that way.”
Not the first mayor to be sued for sexual harassment
This wasn’t the first time a town employee sued a mayor for sexual harassment. A former secretary of now deceased former Mayor Thomas Kelaher settled out of court. Kelaher allegedly repeatedly crossed the line with the secretary, even nicknaming her “T-ts”.
Settlement reached after years of disputes
According to township sources familiar with the case, the settlement was reached following months of private negotiations. The terms were not disclosed, but officials confirmed the township’s insurance carrier was involved in finalizing the agreement to avoid further trial costs.
The resolution follows a string of contentious hearings over Guardian’s claims that he was mocked and demeaned by senior officials, including Amoruso, who was accused in court filings of making anti-gay remarks during his prior service as a New Jersey State Trooper. Amoruso’s attorneys had moved to block access to his personnel records, arguing that any conduct from more than a decade earlier was irrelevant to the case.
A township divided
While Hill and the council majority at the time stood by Amoruso and rejected Guardian’s accusations, the case deepened existing political rifts inside Toms River’s municipal government. The lawsuit became a flashpoint in township politics, sparking debates over workplace culture and accountability in local government.
Guardian, a Republican with a long record of public service, maintained that his firing was politically motivated and retaliatory because he is an openly gay conservative Republican man, a sort of unicorn in the party leadership.
No involvement by current mayor
Current Mayor Dan Rodrick, who was not named in the lawsuit, was not part of the anti-homophobic culture of the Hill administration.
Closing chapter in a long dispute
With the case now closed, both sides appear eager to move on. Rodrick said he is focused on restoring stability within the local government, while Guardian went on to win an election and become the state’s first openly gay Republican state assemblyman.
