LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — A district judge ordered the Lafayette Police Department (LPD) and its acting chief to halt disciplinary actions against a K-9 officer who made a pair of controversial Facebook posts.

The Louisiana Union of Police Associations (LUPA) filed a temporary restraining order against the department and Acting Chief Scott Morgan on behalf of Lafayette Police Cpl. David Stanley this week. LUPA claims the LPD is retaliating against Stanley, including suspending him for 80 hours without pay and transferring him out of the K-9 division.

Stanley served as president of the Police Association of Louisiana Local #905 from June 2019 untily July 2020. During that time, he allegedly made two Facebook posts while off-duty on the union’s Facebook page. According to LUPA, the first post included a video critical of Louisiana HB 577 on May 15. The second post, on May 18, described a traffic stop that turned into a drug bust on I-10.

On May 22, LUPA said Stanley was issued a memo informing him he was under investigation by the LPD for violations of the department’s social media and public relations policies. LUPA and Stanley both maintain that the Facebook posts were made as part of his duties as president of the local union.

Fifteenth Judicial District Court Judge Thomas Duplantier signed the order commanding that any suspension of Corporal David Stanley be stayed. The issue will go before the court on Sept. 1.