By: Cassie Schirm | wdsu.com | July 14, 2025
NEW ORLEANS —
A confidential grievance filed by a New Orleans police officer is now at the center of a growing investigation into how internal information is being exposed to the public.
WDSU Investigates has confirmed that the grievance, which includes allegations against an NOPD captain, was still active when it was posted online by City Council candidate Belden Batiste.
According to multiple sources, the New Orleans Police Department has launched a Public Integrity Bureau investigation into how the document was shared publicly. But the investigation is expanding. Sources tell WDSU that NOPD has asked the city’s inspector general to look not only into the leak from within NOPD, but also whether the Office of the Independent Police Monitor played any role.
“The question is, how did this civilian get privileged and confidential information?” said Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission. “If it came from the police department, that’s a problem. If it came from another city agency, that’s a problem too.”
Batiste told WDSU he received the grievance anonymously in the mail. There was no name or return address. He said he shared the document online because he believes too many internal issues are hidden from public view, and to show that leaks are happening.
While the contents of the grievance raise questions about internal conduct, the focus of the current investigation is on how and why that information was released during an active review.
“This is becoming a trend,” Goyeneche said. “So this investigation needs to look at all of the quote-unquote ‘leaks’ to determine if there’s a pattern, and who else has access to this kind of information.”
This is not the first time sensitive internal materials have surfaced publicly. In 2023, audio recordings from the Public Integrity Bureau’s investigation into Officer Jeffrey Vappie were accidentally released before that review was completed. Federal monitors described it as a “security breach” and warned that confidence in NOPD’s internal oversight was at risk when confidential material “went public” mid‑investigation.
The inspector general cannot comment on investigations.
WDSU reached out to the Office of Independent Police Monitor and has not received a response at this time.
This is an ongoing investigation, and we will continue to follow this closely.