Louisville police chief suspended for handling of sexual assault allegations

At a press conference on Wednesday evening, Mayor Craig Greenberg announced the appointment of an independent investigator to review Louisville Police Chief Jackie Gwinn-Villaroel’s handling of allegations of misconduct.

Greenberg told reporters that Gwinn-Villaroel’s suspension is “temporary” and that she will continue to receive pay while the investigation is underway. In the meantime, he promoted Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey to acting chief. Humphrey currently heads the LMPD’s Accountability and Improvement Bureau.

Greenberg said he takes the allegations of sexual harassment and Gwinn-Villaorel’s response to them very seriously.

“I hold myself and all leaders of every agency under my command to the highest standards, and that certainly includes the LMPD,” he said.

Greenberg stressed that he would not tolerate sexual misconduct within the city government.

The revelations that Louisville’s police chief may have mishandled an allegation of sexual misconduct come as the city is negotiating a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. That settlement, which is intended to serve as a roadmap for reforming the department, is the result of a months-long Justice Department investigation that found the LMPD routinely engaged in unconstitutional and discriminatory policing.

In the scathing report released last year, Justice Department investigators said LMPD fails to adequately investigate officers accused of sexual misconduct and domestic violence, noting that the investigations “often deviate from Department policies and generally accepted investigative practices.”

“We also reviewed cases where administrative investigations were conducted but key allegations were not addressed, such as reports that officials attempted to intimidate or retaliate against women for reporting cases of sexual harassment or domestic violence,” investigators wrote.

The Greenberg administration hastily organized a press conference Wednesday evening to announce Gwinn-Villaroel’s suspension after a WAVE 3 reporter reached out to the LMPD the same day for comment on the situation. The reporter, Natalia Martinez, said she told the police department she had received a recording of Gwinn-Villaroel’s response to the allegations.

WAVE 3 television broadcast this recording shortly after the press conference concluded, in which Gwinn-Villaroel can be heard asking each major in the department to ask if there are any other commanders they cannot work with.

LMPD Major Shannon Lauder said she refused to work with another major, Brian Kuriger, because “he sexually harassed and assaulted me.”

Less than a minute later, according to the news report, Gwinn-Villaroel announced that she was promoting Kuriger to lieutenant colonel, one of the highest ranks within the department.

Speaking to Lauder, Gwinn-Villaroel said: “Major Lauder, I have heard your concerns. I understand that you cannot do this. That is why we have to address the status of the future.”

Lauder is heard apologizing for the timing of the accusation.

“I know this isn’t the right time to bring it up, but I didn’t want you to say later that I didn’t bring it up,” she said. “So I’m sorry for bringing it up this way.”

Kuriger, the officer Lauder accused of sexual harassment, headed LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit and Professional Standards Unit, which conduct internal investigations into police shootings and misconduct. Kuriger did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to his personal and work email addresses.

During Wednesday’s press conference, Greenberg did not provide details about the allegations or Gwinn-Villaroel’s response. He noted that Gwinn-Villaroel is not personally accused of sexual misconduct and said a separate investigation into Lauder’s allegation is already underway.

It is unclear when Greenberg first learned of the alleged misconduct and how Gwinn-Villaroel responded. He said the city signed the contract with the independent investigator, attorney David Beyer, on Monday.

This is not the first time Gwinn-Villaroel’s ability to lead the LMPD at a critical time has been questioned. She was criticized late last year for giving false testimony during a civil trial. At the time, Greenberg defended her actions by saying she had “slipped of the tongue.”

Gwinn-Villaroel also drew the ire of some residents and activists when she decided that no further disciplinary action would be taken against officers whose misconduct was highlighted in the Justice Department report.