AG Finds Probable Cause That Police Dept. In BurlCo Discriminated Against Black Residents

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — Investigators found sufficient evidence that the Mount Laurel Police Department discriminated against Black residents by failing to properly investigate their neighbor's repeated racist harassment, the state attorney general's office announced Wednesday.

Two Black residents of the Essex Place Condominium Complex filed discrimination complaints against the MLPD, alleging that the department didn't adequately investigate the incidents throughout a multi-year period.

Edward Mathews, who lived in the complex, was arrested in July 2021 — three days after he repeatedly hurled anti-Black slurs at residents, even when a police officer arrived. Read more: Mount Laurel Man's Racist Rant On Video Sparks Protest

Mathews is currently serving a prison term in relation to the incident, which was caught on video.

But the complaints allege that the MLPD's failure to properly investigate prior incidents involving Mathews allowed his conduct to escalate over several year, according to the NJ Office of the Attorney General (OAG).

The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights — part of the OAG — issued a Finding of Probable Cause into the matter, finding sufficient evidence that the MLPD violated anti-discrimination law.

The finding was the result of a preliminary investigation and is not a final judgment.

Attorney George Morris, who represents Mount Laurel's municipal government, did not immediately return Patch's request for comment.

Before arresting Mathews, the MLPD received about 40 reports from Essex Place residents of color claiming he targeted them with repeated verbal and written harassment, including racial slurs, authorities said.

"They also alleged that Mathews vandalized their homes and their vehicles, smashing car and home windows and slashing tires," the OAG said in a news release. "Mathews's behavior caused some Essex Place residents of color to move out of their condos to escape his harassment."

MLPD communication records show department officers were aware of his pattern of harassment, according to the state's investigation. But none of the officers interviewed by the DCR indicated that they had interviewed Mathews for any of the incidents reported before July 2021, the OAG said.

On multiple occasions, officers responded to complaints involving Mathews without following MLPD protocols requiring a thorough investigation and documenting the incidents in writing. Several officers did not believe that race was a factor in Mathews's harassment, despite repeated concerns from Black residents about racist behavior.

On July 2, 2021, Mathews was reported to police while he confronted four residents using profane and racist language.

A video shows Mathews repeatedly using the N-word and calling several people "monkey." When a Mount Laurel police officer arrives, he continues to shout the slurs, even as the officer addresses him by name and tells him to go home.

Over the next two days, Mathews's racist harassment toward residents escalated, according to the attorney general's office. The video of the July 2 incident went viral, inspiring protests.

He was finally arrested on July 5, 2021, and charged with 22 offenses spanning six separate incidents of harassment, vandalism and bias crimes against his neighbors. He was also charged with a drug offense after authorities searched his home and found psilocin mushrooms, which have hallucinogenic effects.

In October 2023, Mathews pleaded guilty to four counts of bias intimidation and one count of possessing a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to eight years in prison under the plea deal.

With the Finding of Probable Cause issued, the parties have a chance to negotiate a voluntary resolution. If no resolution is reached, the Division of Civil Rights will appoint a deputy attorney general to prosecute the matter.