Two metro police officers have sued the department, claiming they faced a sexually hostile environment that included accusations they were having an affair.
Louisville Metro Officers Michael Lee Smith and Kristina Hagan claim they were retaliated against after complaining about explicit sexual conversations.
They filed suit in Jefferson County Circuit Court on Tuesday, seeking punitive damages, restoration of their previous positions as detectives and prevention of further retaliation.
According to the suits, the officers say while on duty they were repeatedly exposed to sexual conversations they found uncomfortable. Some of those conversations included accusations that Smith and Hagan were having an affair, according to the lawsuit.
Their attorney, Thomas Clay, on Tuesday described the conversations as full of "graphic, explicit and tawdry detail." Clay said the officers never were involved intimately and only worked as partners in the department.
Bill Patteson, spokesman for the Jefferson County Attorney's office, said he could not comment on a pending lawsuit.
The suits contend both officers reported their concerns to superiors, but no action was taken. Because of their complaints, the officers allege they endured retaliation, including being given poor personnel evaluations and facing investigation of their own job conduct.
Members of the Professional Standards Unit, which investigates possible violations of department policy or procedure, are conducting an investigation related to allegations made in the lawsuits, police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said.