PITTSBURGH — The case in which a Buffalo Township pastor and his wife were initially accused of growing marijuana that turned out to be hibiscus will move to mediation next month.

Ed and Audrey Cramer of Buffalo Township filed a lawsuit against Nationwide Insurance and an agent who inspected a claim at their home, two Buffalo Township police officers and Buffalo Township.

The Cramers' attorney, Al Lindsay, said Tuesday that the matter will go before a mediator April 17, in an effort to settle the case.

If the mandatory mediation is unsuccessful, the suit will move on to federal court in Pittsburgh, Lindsay said.

The suit, filed in Butler County Court Nov. 16, said a Nationwide agent who investigated a claim of a large tree that fell on the Cramer home then re-entered the property and took pictures of a hibiscus plant growing at the property.

The agent, who thought the plant was marijuana, sent the pictures to the Freeport police, who forwarded them to Buffalo Township police.

Having secured a warrant, Buffalo Township police officers arrived at the Cramer's home Oct. 7, handcuffed 66-year-old Audrey Cramer and placed her in a hot police vehicle while she was partially-clothed and shoeless, the suit claims.

Audrey Cramer was left handcuffed in the police car for 4.5 hours, which the suit claims aggravated a shoulder injury and caused her emotional trauma, the suit claims.

Ed Cramer returned home about 30 minutes after the warrant was served. He too was handcuffed and placed in the back of another police cruiser, the suit claims.

When the plant was found to be hibiscus the Cramers were released. But the house had been searched and items damaged, the suit claims.

Later that month, the Cramers say they received a letter from Nationwide stating that marijuana was found on their property and if they failed to remove the nonexistent marijuana plants, Nationwide would cancel their insurance policy.

The suit accuses Nationwide and its agent of bad faith, defamation, invasion of privacy and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The allegations against Buffalo Township police include invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault, battery, false imprisonment, false arrest and excessive force.

Buffalo Township faces accusations of civil rights violations by its police department.

Lindsay would not divulge at a November news conference the monetary damages the Cramers are requesting in the suit.

“I'll never trust a police officer again,” a tearful Audrey Cramer said at the news conference.