Louisville police major cleared of sexual harassment allegations that prompted resignation of chief

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Police Maj. Brian Kuriger, who was accused in a lawsuit last month of sexually harassing an officer, accusations that led to the forced resignation of Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, has been cleared of wrongdoing.

"I have found that no misconduct or violations of policy occurred," interim LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey said in a memo to Kuriger provided on Monday by the department.

Earlier this year, Maj. Shannon Lauder and her husband, Lt. Jeff Lauder, were accused in a separate lawsuit of "grossly inappropriate" behavior at an "adult pool" party in August 2020 and making sexual comments and advances toward another officer, Sgt. Lauren Carby.

Shortly thereafter, an internal investigation of the party, in part, prompted a lawsuit by the Lauders, claiming Shannon Lauder was sexually harassed by Kuriger, the major in charge of investigating the pool party incident.

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

Local attorney James Dilback was asked to conduct the investigation.

On Monday, Humphrey sent a statement to the media saying the investigation found Kuriger did not violate any LMPD procedures.

Kuriger was exonerated on charges of sexual harassment and conduct unbecoming. And allegations made by Lauder of inappropriate behavior and comments by Kuriger while working as a member of the LMPD Training Academy from October 2017 to July 2021 were deemed unfounded.

"There was no credible evidence put forward in the independent investigation that the alleged behavior occurred," Humphrey said.

In a written statement Monday afternoon, Kevin Trager, Mayor Craig Greenberg's press secretary, said Kuriger's return to work was the "appropriate course of action" based on the findings of an independent investigation.

An attorney for Kuriger has not responded to a request for comment.

Attorney Jared Smith, who represents the Lauders, said while he has not seen the findings of the investigation yet and does "not know what the investigation entailed, any result other than “inconclusive” would come as a surprise due to the incomplete nature of the investigation."

Smith said he told the Lauders not to provide interviews to Dilbeck after he became aware that Dilbeck "was employed by the Chief’s office and had a professional conflict of interest in leading the investigation of this matter."

In his report, Dilbeck said he did not know what conflict of interest Smith was referring to.

In an Aug. 12 memo to Kuriger, Humphrey said Shannon Lauder declined to be interviewed for the internal investigation.

In a 19-page report, Dilbeck said Kuriger did not sexually harass or attack Shannon Lauder.

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.

In his interview with Dilbeck, Kuriger denied these allegations. Dilbeck addressed several allegations in the lawsuit, arguing there was no proof.

Smith, the attorney representing the Lauders, said the "the matters subject to this investigation will play out in court in an unbiased manner as is their Seventh Amendment right."

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.

But Chief Humphrey told Kuriger in his memo that, "You appropriately and thoroughly investigated the allegations."

Dilbeck, the investigator, watched video of the interviews and read transcripts, and claimed that Lauder was repeatedly untruthful about what she later claimed took place. In one example, he noted the Lauder said she cried the entire time she was being questioned by Kuriger, which was not true.

What appeared 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'am."

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.

According to Dilbeck, Kuriger said he was "shell shocked" when Shannon Lauder said he had sexually harassed her, but said nothing during the meeting. He was summoned to the chief's office afterward, where he denied wrongdoing and asked for an investigation

Greenberg suspended the chief on June 13 and Gwinn-Villaroel resigned, at the the mayor'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."

In his conclusion, Dilbeck said he sympathized with Lauder over her claims of suffering embarrassment and humiliation. The "rumor mongering and gossip" about Lauder, if true, "reflect poorly on LMPD's culture," he wrote.

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

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