LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In the last several weeks, Maj. Shannon Lauder and her husband, Lt. Jeff Lauder, were accused in a lawsuit of "grossly inappropriate" behavior at an "adult pool" party in August 2020 and making sexual comments and advances toward another officer, Lauren Carby.

Now, an internal investigation of the party has, in part, prompted a lawsuit by the couple, claiming Shannon Lauder was sexually harassed by a major in charge of investigating the incident, Maj. Brian Kuriger.

"Shannon was sexually harassed by Defendant Kuriger during the investigative proceeding," according to the suit filed Monday in Jefferson Circuit Court. 

The handling of Shannon Lauder's internal complaints against Kuriger prompted Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg to ask for the resignation of Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel last month for how the chief "handled a workplace sexual harassment allegation."

In the lawsuit against Carby, Kuriger, the city and the former police chief, among others, the Lauders claim the pool party allegations are false and they have been the victims of harassment and a "hostile work environment" for years, in part due to rumors that Shannon Lauder had an affair with a subordinate.

In addition, Shannon Lauder claims she was sexually harassed by Kuriger, the male officer leading the investigation into the alleged pool party both before and during the investigation. 

"This was not Shannon's first encounter with Defendant Kuriger as they had been colleagues vying for similar positions in the past and Shannon had been sexualized by him," according to the suit.

Kuriger, according to the lawsuit, made comments about Shannon Lauder's body, stalked new recruits on social media and received lap dances from female recruits at training graduation parties.

An attorney for Kuriger could not be immediately reached for comment. Claims in a lawsuit present only one side of a case.

"LMPD takes seriously any allegations of sexual harassment or retaliation within the department and multiple investigations have been launched and are pending," LMPD said in a written statement Tuesday evening. "These investigations are imperative given the conflicting narratives of the recently filed lawsuits alleging malfeasance and sexual misconduct. While LMPD cannot comment on the specifics of the lawsuits, we would like to reiterate that LMPD is committed to conducting expedient, thorough, and impartial investigations of all sexual misconduct allegations once claims are brought to our attention."

In his role investigating the pool party, Kuriger is accused of denying the Lauders the presence of union representatives, not allowing Shannon Lauder to finish sentences, failing to review social media posts that allegedly proved some complaints and asking inappropriate questions.

What appears to be the main catalyst prompting the chief's resignation stems from a May 22 command staff meeting that was called to announce a series of promotions within LMPD. Shannon Lauder hadn't reported the harassment to Gwinn-Villaroel yet, as she was still "exploring ways to report the complaint in a confidential way," according to a previous statement by her attorney, Jared Smith.

Lauder was sick and joined the meeting virtually, Smith said. According to an audio file of the meeting provided by Smith, Gwinn-Villaroel called on each major in the meeting, asking them if there was anyone else on the staff they couldn't work with.

Gwinn-Villaroel: "Is there anybody within this command staff you can't work with?"

Lauder: "Ma'am, I cannot work with (Maj. Brian Kuriger). He has sexually harassed me and attacked me, and I cannot work with him."

The room went silent for 21 seconds before Gwinn-Villaroel said "All right" and continued calling on other majors. Shortly thereafter, she confirmed Kuriger's promotion.

Gwinn-Villaroel: "Your next lieutenant colonel will be Brian Kuriger. ... Maj. Lauder, I've heard your concerns and I understand that you cannot, so we have to visit on a status moving forward."

Lauder: "Yes ma'am. I know now's not a good time to bring it up but I didn't want you to say that later that I didn't bring it up. So I'm sorry it had to come out in this way."

Gwinn-Villaroel: "I have heard your concern. Yes ma'm."

Following the meeting, Shannon Lauder was ordered to write a memorandum detailing the harassment from Kuriger, which she was required to submit no later than the end of the following day, the suit claims.

Since then, the Lauders claim they have both been passed up for promotions and harassed by others in the department.

Greenberg suspended the chief on June 13 and Gwinn-Villaroel resigned, at the chief's urging, on June 25.

The Lauders claim rumors and harassment within the department have persisted for years and their complaints have been ignored.

Shannon Lauder claimed that, in February 2023, she went directly to Gwinn-Villaroel, and the chief allegedly said she did not "want to address Shannon's complaints and informed Shannon that the entire situation frustrated her because it pre-dated her becoming Chief of LMPD and should have been addressed by her predecessors, but failed to offer to help or support Shannon," according to the lawsuit.

In the lawsuit Shannon Lauder claims at one point she talked to and wrote a letter to LMPD leadership, including the former chief, about "retaliation and disparate treatment" among numerous other LMPD policy violations, according to the suit.

"Shannon's letter made it all the way to the office of the Mayor … who failed to take any action whatsoever," the suit claims.

Former Chief Erica Shields heard the rumors about the Lauders and allegedly "took it upon herself to reprimand Shannon" in a March 19, 2021 meeting.

"Chief Shields advised Shannon that she would not have to deal with the harassment if she were 'fatter and uglier,'" the suit alleges. Shields eventually apologized, according to the suit.

Shannon Lauder was forced recently to "come forward in a more public manner" about the treatment.

WAVE 3 News had a story that was set to air the day the mayor suspended the chief. It included audio of the chief meeting with her command staff.

The lawsuit also claims Carby lied about the "adult pool party," which the Lauders said was actually an "open house" with about 20 friends, neighbors and colleagues to celebrate their recent professional accomplishments and the retirement of a colleague.

It was Carby who was the aggressor, according to the suit, confronting Jeff Lauder about her belief that Shannon Lauder was having an affair with one of the officers under her command, according to the lawsuit. Both Lauders claim they told Carby the rumor was not true.

Carby has claimed in a lawsuit filed June 20 that Shannon Lauder and her husband committed sexual misconduct, alleging the two openly talked about their extramarital relationships and Shannon Lauder told her to come back to the pool party when she tried to leave following her husband's advances.

When Carby went back to the Lauder home, according to her lawsuit, Jeff Lauder was waiting. He led her upstairs where Shannon Lauder was sitting on a couch, "highly intoxicated, and attempting to locate" a detective she was seen kissing earlier at the party.

Shannon Lauder allegedly told Carby that she "had her blessing to engage in a relationship with Jeff," according to Carby's lawsuit.

When Shannon Lauder left the room, Jeff Lauder tried to kiss Carby, her suit claims. Carby allegedly pushed him away and left the home.

But in the Lauder's version of events, Shannon Lauder simply spoke to Carby "to clear the air and dispel the rumor" she was having an affair. But the rumor "spread like wildfire" through the department, according to the Lauder's lawsuit.

Carby's attorney, Sara Collins, said in a statement that the claims by the Lauders are "nonsensical." 

"LMPD has a history of covering up misconduct of high ranking members, including sexual harassment and other misconduct by Maj. Shannon Lauder and Lt. Jeff Lauder. The Lauders' recent efforts to portray themselves as victims are without merit."

Also named as a defendant in the Lauder lawsuit is Maj. Mindy Vance, the commander of the department's peer support team.

Vance heard about the allegations by Carby during a peer support meeting and encouraged Carby to report the Lauders' alleged contact. When she declined, Vance contacted the head of LMPD's internal investigation unit and reported the alleged harassment and misconduct, which prompted an investigation.

But in 2023, the River City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 614 filed a lawsuit against the city after most investigative interviews were complete, arguing that the investigation violated the collective bargaining agreement because the complaint was based on private information discussed as part of the peer support process.

A Jefferson Circuit Court judge in April issued a temporary restraining order halting the investigation. Carby then filed her own complaint and the investigation is ongoing.

The Lauders claim Vance had a long-time history of issues with the couple and used the peer support team to spread the rumors about the pool party and pressured Carby to file a complaint.

This is the third sexual harassment lawsuit filed against LMPD within weeks.

On June 18, Officer Christine Silk claimed she was sexually harassed by two male supervisors during her first year on the job, with one sending her a picture of his penis.

Officer Silk claims she was inappropriately touched, asked in front of other officers if she had to "whore herself out for childcare," sent inappropriate texts, asked to hug a supervisor who had an erection and told by the same officer to read aloud sexual fantasies he had written about her, among other allegations.

Silk, Carby and the Lauders argue in their lawsuits that LMPD has a disturbing internal culture where pervasive patterns of harassment, sexual misconduct, predatory behaviors and discrimination by its members have been repeatedly excused, ignored, concealed, fostered, and justified.

All note that the Department of Justice found that LMPD does not properly investigate allegations of sexual misconduct within the department.

Retired FBI agent David Beyer is leading an independent investigation into the chief's handling of Shannon Lauder's allegation. A separate, independent investigation will look into the harassment claim itself. Beyer previously investigated Metro Corrections and sexual harassment allegations at TARC at the request of the Metro Council.

Paul Humphrey is leading the department in an "interim chief" role. Humphrey joined LMPD in 2006 and spent several years as a 1st and 6th division officer in the Newburg and Russell neighborhoods. In 2010, he joined the SWAT team and became the commander of the team in 2017.

LMPD said in a written statement Tuesday that it implemented a new approach this summer to respond to sexual harassment allegations and "remains committed to ensuring a culture of respect for all sworn and professional staff members and will not tolerate sexual harassment of any kind by its members."

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