Louisville police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel resigned this week following her suspension over the mishandling of a sexual harassment claim against an officer.
Her departure comes amid ongoing turmoil within the department, which recently faced criticism for its handling of a case involving world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler was shockingly arrested at the PGA Championship in May and charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, but the charges were later dropped.
Gwinn-Villaroel’s resignation makes her the third full-time Louisville police chief to leave the position since 2020, following the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor during a botched drug raid that year.
The department has also been dealing with sexual harassment allegations, with two female officers filing lawsuits last week against fellow officers for harassment.
Mayor Craig Greenberg condemned the alleged conduct as “unacceptable and inexcusable.”
He named Paul Humphrey, who had been acting chief since Gwinn-Villaroel’s suspension on June 12, as the interim chief, marking the fourth interim chief since 2020.
Greenberg emphasized the need for respect in the workplace and announced improvements to sexual harassment training procedures.
He also stated that the policy requiring harassment complaints to go through an officer’s chain of command would be amended, giving officers more options for reporting.
Gwinn-Villaroel’s suspension was linked to a complaint from Major Shannon Lauder against Major Brian Kuriger, who was promoted to lieutenant colonel just one minute after being accused of sexual harassment.
The mayor did not provide details on whether Gwinn-Villaroel was asked to resign.
Gwinn-Villaroel joined the Louisville Police Department from the Atlanta Police Department in 2021 and was named the full-time chief in July 2023.
Currently, there is no active search for a new full-time chief.
