Louisville police major at center of police chief’s suspension ‘demands accountability’

Attorney Jared Smith held a meeting with reporters outside Metro Hall on Thursday to discuss why Louisville Police Major Shannon Lauder spoke out during a May 22 LMPD command staff meeting.

At that meeting, Lauder said she could not work with another officer because he had “sexually harassed” and “assaulted” her. Police Chief Jackie Gwinn-Villaroel confirmed Lauder’s allegation, but promoted the accused officer less than a minute later. Gwinn-Villaroel has since been placed on leave pending an independent investigation into her handling of the allegations.

Smith said Lauder could have remained silent about her experiences, “as so many women in similar situations do in our society.” He said he was proud of her for making “the courageous decision” instead.

“She certainly wants accountability for what happened to her, but she also wants real, lasting change, the kind of change the Justice Department refers to in its scathing March 8, 2023 report,” Smith said.

Smith said Lauder needs time to process what happened and is not actively participating in department meetings.

Lauder has been with LMPD for 16 years and previously headed the department’s troubled Special Victims Unit. Today, she heads Division 1, which covers downtown and parts of west Louisville, including the Portland neighborhood. It is one of the city’s busiest divisions.

At Thursday’s press conference, Smith shared some additional details about the meeting and presented a longer version of the recording made by Lauder, in which Chief Gwinn-Villaroel can be heard chastising her command staff for not meeting her expectations.

“I’m not going to tolerate a major who can’t get along with another major and doesn’t support him just because you all had a problem,” Gwinn-Villaroel said. “It’s over. And if you can’t do that, give me your stuff today.”

Later in the meeting, Gwinn-Villaroel calls up every major in the LMPD and asks them if they have a problem working with another department head. At this point, Lauder accuses Major Brian Kuriger of sexual misconduct, and Kuriger is immediately promoted.

Smith told reporters he would have liked Gwinn-Villaroel to stop the meeting and “think about Shannon (Lauder)” and respond “in a much more human way.”

Many of the questions asked by reporters during Smith’s briefing on Thursday remained unanswered.

He would not say whether Lauder had raised her concerns with Gwinn-Villaroel before the meeting or whether she had ever filed a formal complaint against Kuriger. Smith also would not elaborate on what Lauder meant when she said Kuriger had “sexually harassed” and “assaulted” her.

When asked by reporters whether Lauder planned to sue the department, Smith said the option was open.

“If at the end of my investigation it turns out that the facts are ready for trial and my client ultimately wishes to file a lawsuit, I will certainly file a lawsuit on her behalf,” he said.

Lauder had already hired Smith as legal counsel before the May 22 meeting. According to Smith, Lauder asked him to investigate the incidents surrounding the alleged sexual misconduct.

Smith declined to comment on the details of his investigation, but said he was looking at incidents “from the last four years.”

LPM News has sent questions to LMPD, asking if there are ongoing investigations by the department’s Professional Standards Unit into Lauder’s allegations and whether Gwinn-Villaroel knew about the allegations prior to the May 22 meeting. The department has referred all questions to Mayor Craig Greenberg’s office.

Kevin Trager, Greenberg’s press secretary, said in a statement that shortly after that staff meeting, the LMPD hired an independent investigator to look into Lauder’s claim.

“Due to the sensitivity of the matter and out of respect for the privacy of the individuals involved, these are the details we can disclose at this time,” Trager said.

Kuriger, who is accused of sexual misconduct by Lauder, oversaw LMPD’s internal investigative agencies: the Professional Standards Unit and the Public Integrity Unit. These agencies typically investigate complaints of misconduct, but in this case it likely would have been considered a conflict of interest.

Greenberg announced Wednesday night that the city has hired attorney David Beyer, who will conduct its own independent investigation into how Gwinn-Villaroel responded to Lauder’s lawsuit. In the meantime, she has been suspended with pay.

LMPD Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey has been appointed interim head of the department.