LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) —  The Louisville Office of Inspector General and civilian review board launched a new investigation Tuesday into a 2020 police pool party where the former LMPD SWAT commander was accused of propositioning a detective for sex. 

LMPD's internal investigation went until 2025 and hundreds of pages of documents from it were recently unsealed in the ongoing sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Sgt. Lauren Carby. 

The records revealed how Chief Paul's Humphrey's findings in the case differed from the evidence in the investigative record. 

Carby's attorney filed a complaint with the Office of Inspector General, or OIG and it prompted the civilian review board to approve an investigation into whether LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey or members of his command staff interfered in the pool party investigation or ignored their duties to report misconduct.

"I'm fully aware of the gravity of the investigation," Inspector General Ed Harness said in an interview with WDRB. "Those are the responsibilities that come with the job sometimes. I don't get to pick and choose what comes through the door." 

Carby filed a sexual harassment complaint and corresponding civil rights lawsuit in 2024 claiming her former boss, Maj. Shannon Lauder, and her husband, Lt. Jeff Lauder, hosted an "adult only" pool party at their home with members of SWAT, the Domestic Violence Unit and sex crimes detectives where Jeff Lauder made sexual advances toward Carby.

Ultimately, Jeff Lauder was suspended 15 days for conduct unbecoming an officer. Conduct unbecoming and sexual harassment allegations weren't upheld against Shannon Lauder in LMPD's internal investigation. She retired and left the force.  

However, the chief's discipline letter suspending Lauder directly conflicts with what his own investigators found.

Humphrey wrote "although it is unclear exactly what occurred at the party and whether you made unwanted sexual advances to Carby, the results have had a negative impact on this department."

PSU Detective Jeff Artman wrote in his findings "A preponderance of the evidence shows the advance likely occurred due to the eyewitness testimony of Sarah McHugh and the reporting of the conduct by Detective Carby to Detectives Mason, Jennings, Mantle and Livers while at the party."

The lieutenant and major in PSU both wrote memos to Humphrey saying they agreed with Artman's findings. LMPD declined to answer questions about the conflict between the chief's findings and what the PSU investigation uncovered. 

"All of that is ignored," Carby's Attorney Sara Collins said. "Four witnesses who were there corroborate the claims. No one except the Lauders refute the claims and that is completely ignored and that turns into we can't determine exactly what happened."

LMPD didn't substantiate the sexual harassment violations against Jeff or Shannon Lauder saying Carby's career hadn't been negatively impacted. While she was promoted to Sergeant in 2023, Carby was passed over for three other job opportunities in the department.

It's unclear how far the Inspector General's investigation will go. 

LMPD previously refused to give the OIG the records from the pool investigation, saying it only involved members of the department and was not a civilian matter as laid out in the city statues that govern what Harness' office can investigate. 

This comes after the River City Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing LMPD officers, sent Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg a cease-and-desist letter earlier this month demanding the city stop inspector general investigations. 

"The Lodge maintains that the OIG's investigations into LMPD officers is contrary to state law, as the OIG is not 'the department or another designated law enforcement agency,'" the letter states.

In 2022, the city created an IG position and Civilian Review Board after the police killing of Breonna Taylor. It was billed as an independent agency set up to police the police.

The relationship between Humphrey and Harness is tense. The pair has publicly disagreed on OIG findings. Harness said the access to information and records from LMPD remains challenging. 

In fact, LMPD previously refused to give Harness' office records from Professional Standards Unit's investigation. A letter from Humphrey said the matter only involved members of the police department and not civilians as required by the parameters in which the OIG can launch an investigation.

Harness said he expects more cooperation this time around. 

"We'll be working with the government administration regarding the information that we need and if it's not provided and we face hurdles, then I'll be the first one to let the public know," Harness said.

How did we get here?

The 2020 pool party carries a lasting impact on the police department. It was the subject of at least three separate lawsuits, at least two Professional Standards Unit internal investigations and contributed to the ouster of former LMPD Chief Jackie Gwinn-Villaroel.

Carby has never spoken publicly about the party, but the documents reveal what she told investigators about being propositioned for sex.

"Jeff Started hitting on me, standing outside of the pool ... commenting about my body, commenting about how long he had been attracted to me," Carby said in the transcripts from her interview with a PSU investigator.

The transcript went on to say Jeff Lauder tried several more times to get her attention, and a handful of fellow officers saw it. According to the investigation, he told Carby both he and Shannon Lauder have people outside their marriage.

Carby claimed he said "I've already talked to Shannon, I've asked her if I can approach you and she's good with it."

Former LMPD Detective Sarah McHugh saw that conversation and told PSU investigators "He wanted her to enter in a relationship with him."

Carby said she declined Jeff Lauder's advances and later went to leave the party. That's when Shannon Lauder called and it was picked up on Bluetooth in Carby's car. Mantle was in the car and heard the conversation.

"It was like, everything Jeff told you I'm totally good with," Mantle recalled of Shannon Lauder's remarks on the call during her deposition. 

Carby told investigators Shannon Lauder told her to return to the party and she did because of her commanding rank. When Carby went back to the Lauder home, according to the 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. When Shannon Lauder left the room, Jeff Lauder tried to kiss Carby, the suit claimed. Carby allegedly pushed him away and left the home.

In the days following, investigative records show Shannon Lauder texted Carby saying she overshared, was super embarrassed and asked Carby to keep quiet.

One message from Shannon Lauder said "I know this isn't your fault we got drunk and said things we should never have said. I really appreciate anything you can do to help."

Another message from Lauder said "I don't know what to say. I'm humiliated. Everything with (name redacted) is over. We're going to focus on our marriage and pray the rumors don't get out of control."

Despite the rumors in the department, there was no immediate investigation into the party, the alleged harassment by Jeff Lauder or the allegations that Shannon Lauder was having a relationship with a detective under her command, Carby's lawsuit claims.

Investigations started in 2022 after the details of the party were discussed in a peer support meeting meant to improve morale in the domestic violence unit. The River City Fraternal Order of Police union fought to block the PSU case, saying LMPD violated the terms of its Collective Bargaining Agreement with the FOP by improperly initiating an internal investigation based upon confidential and protected information. The FOP won in court.

On May 15, 2024, Carby wrote a memo to the department about the events of the 2020 pool party and other alleged harassment by Shannon and Jeff Lauder, which prompted a second PSU investigation.

In the midst of the second PSU case, Shannon Lauder complained that she was sexually harassed by a major Brien Kuriger. In the audio of a May 22 meeting with her command staff, the chief promoted Kuriger to lieutenant colonel right after Lauder accused him of sexual harassment. Greenberg placed then-Chief Gwinn-Villaroel on paid administrative leave and ultimately asked for her resignation for how she "handled a workplace sexual harassment allegation."

Greenberg named Humphrey interim LMPD chief immediately following Gwinn-Villaroel's resignation and eventually appointed him to the position permanently.

The Lauders have continually denied Carby's allegation and filed a countersuit.

Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.

Â