The police chief of St. Paul, Minnesota, has lodged a sexual harassment complaint against the city’s first female mayor. Chief Axel Henry claims that Mayor Kaohly Her exhibited inappropriate behavior towards him and his department. This report was shared by the local NBC affiliate on Wednesday.
An external law firm, Resolute Law based in St. Cloud, has been enlisted to investigate the allegations. The mayor, who took office seven months ago, now faces scrutiny for her actions. Chief Henry, who has been at the helm of the St. Paul Police Department since 2022, detailed his accusations in a letter dated April 1. The letter, penned by attorney Christopher Madel, was sent to the St. Paul City Attorney. In it, Madel states, “The City is on notice that Mayor Her has engaged in illegal conduct towards City employees.” This letter was obtained by NBC affiliate KARE 11.
Madel emphasized that Chief Henry aimed to not only address misconduct but also safeguard his team. “Chief Henry is not only seeking to address the wrongdoing but also create a measure of protection for his team, signaling that such conduct will not be tolerated,” Madel wrote.
The complaint includes a screenshot of a text ostensibly from Mayor Her to a city employee. The message read, “Happy Weiner (sic) Wednesday! Wish I was having a (hot dog emoji) with you all on 6 today!” Beneath this text is a meme, which has been redacted, depicting a swaddled baby with an adult’s head. The meme’s caption indicates ambiguity in Mayor Her’s messages.
There are no other explicit examples of inappropriate remarks in the letter. Madel noted potential future litigation and requested a full extraction of data from the mayor’s mobile phones.
Neither Mayor Her’s spokesperson, Matt Wagenius, nor Nikki Muehlhausen, the police spokesperson, have commented on the situation. The law firm involved in the investigation also declined to provide a status update.
Mayor Her’s background includes being born in Laos, spending her early years in a refugee camp, and moving to the U.S. at age three. She grew up in Illinois and Wisconsin.
This is not the first time Mayor Her has faced allegations. According to the Star Tribune, she previously encountered a restraining order petition from a former friend. The petition accused her of inappropriate interactions, yet it was denied by a Ramsey County District Court Referee. The court found no threat or evidence linking the mayor to her friend’s removal from a board position.