freemarker.core.InvalidReferenceException: The following has evaluated to null or missing: ==> department.dept_type [in template "" at line 39, column 6] ---- Tip: It's the step after the last dot that caused this error, not those before it. ---- Tip: If the failing expression is known to be legally refer to something that's null or missing, either specify a default value like myOptionalVar!myDefault, or use <#if myOptionalVar??>when-present<#else>when-missing . (These only cover the last step of the expression; to cover the whole expression, use parenthesis: (myOptionalVar.foo)!myDefault, (myOptionalVar.foo)?? ---- ---- FTL stack trace ("~" means nesting-related): - Failed at: #if department.dept_type != "88fe7d33... [in template "" at line 39, column 1] ----