St. Paul Police Chief sues Mayor Her over harassment claims

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry has filed a lawsuit in Ramsey County Court against Mayor Kaohly Her, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. The 73-page filing claims the mayor engaged in inappropriate conduct, including making sexual comments, unwanted physical touching, and photoshopping the faces of police personnel onto semi-nude bodies.

The lawsuit follows the release of a city investigative summary which found that while the mayor acted inappropriately toward department employees, the specific claims of sexual harassment were unsubstantiated. Chief Henry’s legal team accuses the city of withholding the full investigative report and instead releasing a minimized summary.

In a related development, Mayor Her has transitioned her security detail from the St. Paul Police Department to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, a change that became effective on September 8. The mayor has declined to comment on the change in security during recent public appearances.