Elgin cop mediates harassment dispute on Facebook

Harassment allegations that played out on Facebook involving two people who have helped the homeless in Elgin were resolved via Facebook.

Elgin police Detective Anthony Rigano posted Wednesday on the "What's Happening in Elgin IL?" Facebook page an apology he said came from Al Cox, former director of Street Level Ministries, directed at Greg Schiller, CEO of Matthew 25:40 Ministries.

Rigano's post states he investigated allegations of electronic harassment, and one result was "one of the parties wishing to issue a public apology for their involvement, part of which played out in this very group."

Cox apologized to Schiller "for any trouble that I caused in misunderstanding past information passed along to me" and apologized "to those who we miss lead (sic) with said information," Rigano wrote.

Rigano took down the post a few hours later, after being asked to do so by his superiors. He did not respond to requests for comment.

Cox declined to comment, saying, "The problem that was there is closed and solved and I wish it not to become a media circus."

Schiller said Cox made false allegations starting in November about him via Facebook posts and messages, including accusing him of misappropriating funds such as using donation money to buy a guitar, and threatened to have Schiller arrested. Schiller denied any wrongdoing.

"(Cox) is a Christian. He's helped the homeless," Schiller said, adding the two met in October. He said he didn't know why Cox alleged what he did.

According to police reports, Cox was told by police not to harass Schiller after Schiller contacted police sometime before mid-December. Schiller later reported that Cox followed up by creating fake Facebook profiles to continue the harassment. Cox admitted to Rigano that he had created the fake accounts, the reports state.

The police reports also state that Cox questioned Schiller's legitimacy as a pastor; Schiller said he was ordained online via Universal Ministries.

Street Level Ministries does not appear to exist anymore. Cox did not answer questions regarding what happened to the organization.

Schiller said that on Feb. 8 he, Cox and Rigano had a meeting at the Elgin Police Department. "That was the outcome of the meeting, that Al would submit the public apology," Schiller said.

Cox was banned from the "What's Happening in Elgin IL" page, which is why Rigano posted Cox's apology at Cox's request, police Cmdr. Colin Fleury said.

Rigano was asked by police administrators to take down his post because all communication should come from the police department's own Facebook page, Fleury said.

"(Rigano) was trying to do the right thing, and he was trying to mediate the problem," Fleury said. "But that's not our department policy."

In the post, Rigano said, "There can be a fine line between spreading words around about a person or organization which would cause civil court issues and harassing someone to the point where it can become a criminal court issue."