When Policy Fails People
A Routine Benefit Turns Into a Legal Battle
The lawsuit filed by East Brunswick Police Detective Julia Lancos and her wife Katherine wasn’t just a legal dispute—it was a painful, real-life example of what happens when public systems break down.
What started as a simple question about employee health benefits turned into a year-long legal saga. At the heart of it was Julia’s attempt to access fertility treatment through her township-issued insurance plan—only to be told, after thousands of dollars were spent, that she didn’t qualify.
Misinformation, Denial, and Contradiction
Despite being told by Human Resources and the township’s benefits administrator, Meritain Health, that her treatments were covered, Detective Lancos was later denied IVF coverage. The reasons kept shifting:
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First, it was that she hadn’t completed six IUIs.
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Then it was that the plan didn’t recognize same-sex couples.
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Then the plan was amended—only to later have old, exclusionary language reinserted quietly.
Even after the Township acknowledged the error and stated that the plan was being made equitable, the requirements continued to change—from 6 IUIs to 12, then back to 0.
In the meantime, Julia and her wife paid out of pocket and suffered unnecessary emotional and financial stress, all while simply trying to start a family.
The Lawsuit and the April Settlement
The lawsuit, filed in July 2022, alleged discrimination, breach of contract, and civil rights violations under New Jersey law. Named defendants included the Township of East Brunswick, Mayor Brad Cohen, HR Manager Jennifer Stetson, and the township’s third-party health consultants.
On April 9, 2025, legal documents filed by the Township’s attorneys confirm that the matter was formally settled, leading to the withdrawal of the Township’s motion for summary judgment just days before it was scheduled to be heard in court. The letter, submitted to Judge Rivas, made the settlement official and public.
According to legal precedent and New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA), the settlement agreement is a public document. Any resident of East Brunswick can request to see it.
What This Means for East Brunswick
This case wasn’t just about health insurance. It was about accountability, transparency, and the real-world impact of administrative failure. A veteran officer of the East Brunswick Police Department was failed by the very system she served.
The Township waited years after the law changed in 2017 to amend its fertility policy to include same-sex couples. When it did finally make the change, it allegedly backpedaled in secret. That’s not just poor governance—that’s betrayal.
Where Is the Oversight?
Several law firms were involved in this case—including Hoagland Longo, Wilson Elser, and Calcagni & Kanefsky. With that many legal minds reviewing the facts, the township didn’t just settle out of generosity. They were aware of the risk of going to trial.
So now the public is left with questions:
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What exactly did the township agree to in this settlement?
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How much taxpayer money was used to resolve this case?
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Have proper safeguards been put in place to prevent this from happening again?
Final Thought
This was a case that never should have happened. It was avoidable. It was foreseeable. And it was preventable.
“𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.”
Words are easy. Policies are harder. And accountability is rare.
Residents of East Brunswick should demand answers—not just from lawyers, but from elected officials. Because when the system fails one of its own so spectacularly, everyone should be paying attention.
Notice of Withdrawal of Summary Judgment Motion Due to Settlement
This blog post is based on publicly filed legal documents and settlement notices. All individuals are presumed innocent of any wrongdoing unless a court determines otherwise. The views expressed here are protected opinions and intended for informational purposes only.
