Mayor Her investigation: Actions were 'offensive and inappropriate,' but not sexual harassment

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The City of St. Paul has completed its investigation St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her's conduct, finding that the mayor did engage in some offensive and inappropriate behavior but found the allegations of sexual harassment unsubstantiated. 

St. Paul mayor sexual harassment investigation

The backstory:

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry filed a formal complaint against Mayor Her earlier this year, accusing her of making inappropriate sexual comments to him and other city employees. The complaint included a screenshot of a text message he says Her sent to a city employee reportedly containing sexual innuendo.  

The allegations were made public in late July, including the news that the city had hired an outside law firm to investigate the mayor's conduct. 

Her, the first female and Hmong mayor of St. Paul, was sworn in back in January, promising to make the city work better,

Mayor Her investigation complete, some allegations substantiated

What we know:

The City of St. Paul Office of Human Resources said the investigation into Her's conduct was completed on Sept. 14. 

In a letter sent to Mayor Her on Thursday, the human resources summarized the findings of its investigation. The investigation determined several of the allegations were inconsistent with the city's workplace conduct policy, concluding that Her:

• engaged in offensive and inappropriate behavior with city employees
• created and shared offensive material
• created an uncomfortable work environment for city employees

However, the investigation did not substantiate the sexual harassment and retaliation allegations against Her, including that she:

• engaged in sexual harassment of any city employee
• sent inappropriate text messages to city employees, other than with two employees
• made sexual noises while exercising at a city facility
• retaliated against any city employee

What's next:

In a letter sent to the mayor on Thursday, the human resources department said Her is required to take the following action steps to ensure her conduct is consistent with the city's workplace conduct policy: 

• Comply with all applicable city-wide policies and workplace expectations
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and exercise sound judgment in workplace interactions
• Attend training on workplace conduct
• Retain an executive coach at her own expense

The city's human resources director will follow up with Her on these action steps monthly for the next six months, according to the letter. Her was also directed "not to take any hostile or retaliatory action toward anyone involved in the investigation." 

Read the full letter below: 

Mayor Her apologizes ‘for any discomfort I caused’

What they're saying:

Mayor Her released a statement Friday, saying she was gratified that the allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation were found unsubstantiated but acknowledged that she was "too informal" when communicating with city staff and "crossed lines." 

Full statement:

"I take my responsibilities as Mayor and as a community leader seriously. That is why I cooperated fully with the independent investigation conducted for the City of St. Paul regarding the allegations against me. I did not respond to these allegations publicly because I respected the process initiated by the City. I was, however, I am deeply disappointed that during the course of a confidential HR investigation allegations and information were shared with the media. Those actions caused real harm to my family and the public trust.

"Now that the investigation is complete, I have received a summary of the findings, and I intend to comply with all of the recommended action steps. I am gratified that the report finds that the allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation were unsubstantiated.

"Over the first months of my administration, I faced real challenges. I have always worked to be approachable as a leader and build strong working relationships, and I attempt to connect with people to build camaraderie.

"As reflected in the summary of investigative findings, at times, I became too informal in my communications and crossed lines that are not consistent with the standards set forth in the City’s Workplace Conduct Policy. I apologize for any discomfort I caused.

"I am committed to learning from this experience and leading with greater clarity, respect, and awareness. I look forward to continuing to advance our critical efforts to make the City of St. Paul work for all our residents."

St. Paul police chief letter

Dig deeper:

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry also received a letter from the city's human resources department on Thursday informing him that the investigation into Her was complete.  

"The City will comply with relevant laws regarding the investigation and the results of the investigation," the letter reads. "The City of St. Paul does not tolerate offensive, violent or discriminatory behavior, and it does not tolerate any retaliation towards any who complains about such behavior." 

Timeline:

According to the letter, Henry first reported a possible violation of the city’s workplace policy on March 30. On June 16, the police chief submitted another report to the city of a possible violation of the city’s workplace police prohibiting retaliation.