LONDON, ONT. -- A lawsuit has been launched against the London Abused Women’s Centre, Anova, and representatives of those organizations, as well as London and Woodstock police.

Millars Law announced the suit on Tuesday afternoon on behalf of Marcel Marcellin. His former wife is also named in the suit.

Lawyer Phillip Millar says, "He was destroyed by this. That is why we are so passionate in fighting for him."

It alleges that there were attempts to blackmail Marcellin into ceasing his actions as part of contentious divorce proceedings.

It specifically names his ex-wife, as well as Megan Walker, executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre, and Kate Wiggins, former executive director of Anova, as having “used their considerable influence both on social media and in the mainstream media to intimidate and bully Marcel into relinquishing his rights by ceasing his family law claims or else face dire personal and professional consequences.”

Marcellin was a London police officer for two decades and then was a high-profile City of London employee.

He was charged with assault in 2018.

The charges, following alleged incidents in 1995 and 1996, were withdrawn in June 2019 after an agreement to stay away from the complainant, his ex-wife, until the end of the year.

"The guy's charges are withdrawn and people are still Tweeting that message out there. How does a guy, I don't think we can ignore the fact that he was the one of the few successful visible minorities in this city, and he was cut off at the knees," Millar adds.

The lawsuit also accuses police in London and Woodstock of negligence in their investigations of both the assault allegations and his allegations of harassment and extortion against Walker and Wiggins.

Millar says, "My belief is they just succumbed to political pressure to lay the charge, and I've decided I'm going to make it their problem."

The lawsuit claims the stress and anxiety of the charges, withholding of visitation with his daughter and public harassment also led to Marcellin taking a leave of absence.

It also indicates he has not been able to find employment since his termination by the City of London as a result of the “False allegation and concerted campaign of the Defendants, Ms. Walker and Ms. Wiggins, to destroy his reputation.”

Marcellin says, "Professionally this has rendered me unemployable."

The lawsuit alleges Marcellin has suffered personally, financially and professionally as a result of the actions of the defendants and seeks $3 million in general damages and $1 million in special damages, as well as $50,000 in punitive damages.

None of the allegations made in the Statement of Claim have been proven in court.

- With files from CTV London's Sean Irvine