Mayor Kaohly Her declines to address sexual harassment allegations at St. Paul event
Kaohly Her makes first public appearance since sexual harassment allegations
All eyes were on St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her as she appeared in public for the first time since sexual harassment allegations against her became public. Mayor Her attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a new mixed-use project on Grand Avenue on Thursday.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - All eyes were on St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her as she appeared in public for the first time since sexual harassment allegations against her became public.
Mayor attends Grand Avenue groundbreaking, avoids comment on allegations
What we know:
Mayor Her attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a new mixed-use project on Grand Avenue on Thursday. When asked about the sexual harassment allegations, she declined to discuss them, saying, "Actually, they're going to start right now, so I want to focus on what they're doing right here. This is a really important thing that's happening in our city here, so I want to make sure that we don't get distracted from that," said Her.
Her kept the focus on the project, making no public comments about the investigation or the complaint filed against her. This event marked her first public appearance since the allegations became public last week.
Independent investigation, city response
What's next:
An independent investigation is underway after St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry filed a complaint alleging the mayor made inappropriate sexual comments. According to Henry’s lawyer, the complaint includes a screenshot of a text message with a sexual innuendo that he says Her sent to a city employee.
The city has reportedly hired an outside law firm to investigate the mayor’s conduct, according to the New York Times. Despite the ongoing investigation, it was business as usual for the mayor and St. Paul City Council President at the Grand Victoria groundbreaking.
Rebecca Noecker, Council President of St. Paul, voiced support during the event, saying, "Mayor, right back at you. We are so lucky to have you as our leader, have you at the helm. Our city is in such good hands, and this kind of project, this kind of momentum, is only going to continue."
After the ceremony, Her’s team quickly moved her out and she did not stay to socialize with attendees.