St. Paul city council members weigh in on Mayor Her sexual harassment investigation

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - More elected officials in St. Paul are speaking out about the ongoing sexual harassment investigation into Mayor Kaohly Her. 

The mayor is accused of making inappropriate sexual comments toward the city's police chief and staff. 

St. Paul city council members react to Mayor Her allegations

What they're saying:

In a statement on Thursday, Ward 3 council member Saua Jost says she’s deeply concerned about the allegations because every city employee deserves respect and a safe, welcoming and inclusive workplace.

Jost said she respects the mayor's right to due process and will not be commenting on the allegations specifically. But she added that she is frustrated the situation is taking attention away from the serious challenges facing St. Paul, including four recent homicides, the upcoming closure of encampments and a $26-million budget gap. 

Ward 4 council member Molly Coleman also released a statement on Thursday, calling the allegations against Mayor Her "serious" and saying there are many questions "about the specific allegations that need to be thoroughly answered by external investigators." 

She added that the public "needs clarity" on the current relationship between the mayor and the police department to determine whether public safety "has or will be compromised because of the alleged behavior or fallout from it." 

Coleman also called out the lack of transparency from the mayor’s office regarding the investigation, which began in April, saying the city council learned about the allegations and the hiring of external investigators from media reports. 

"Our partners in the Mayor’s administration should have informed the Council of this matter as soon as it was apparent that there were serious allegations against the Mayor, and before an external law firm was retained," Coleman said in a statement. "Transparency moving forward is non-negotiable if we are going to restore trust and faith in City Hall."

FOX 9 has reached out to the remaining city council members for comment. 

St. Paul police chief email to officers, staff

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry sent a letter to police officers and department staff on Thursday regarding the investigation into Mayor Her's conduct. 

"Whenever there is an active investigation, it is important that we respect that process and refrain from speculation until all the facts are gathered and reviewed properly," the police chief wrote. 

Henry also told staff to continue to be compassionate leaders and not "let the news distract you from our Mission and our Purpose." 

St. Paul mayor sexual harassment investigation

The backstory:

The investigation centers on allegations that Mayor Kaohly Her made inappropriate and sexual comments involving Police Chief Axel Henry and other city employees. Henry’s lawyer filed a formal complaint that includes a screenshot of a text message he says Her sent to a city employee. The message reportedly contains sexual innuendo. Henry’s lawyer is now seeking data from each of Mayor Her’s phones.

The city has reportedly hired an outside law firm to conduct an investigation into the mayor's conduct, according to a report from the New York Times. 

Mayor Her, the first female and Hmong mayor of St. Paul, was sworn in back in January. 

The other side:

Mayor Her released her own statement on Wednesday, saying, "As Mayor, I take my responsibility to treat every employee with professionalism and respect very seriously. I recognize that some of my attempts at humor fell short of the standard I expect of myself. We have fully cooperated with the independent investigation since it began in April and will continue to do so. I respect the investigative process and believe it is important to allow it to reach its conclusion. I remain confident that the full facts will come to light, and I will continue to focus on serving the people of St. Paul with integrity and dedication."

Her said she is committed to cooperating fully with the investigation, which has been ongoing since April. 

St. PaulPolitics