St. Paul police chief sues Mayor Her over sexual harassment claims
St. Paul Mayor Her avoids questions on new security
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her refused to answer questions on Wednesday on her new security detail as she left a public appearance for a groundbreaking for an athletic field. The mayor recently removed St. Paul police officers from her security detail, instead opting to use Ramsey County deputies to act as her security. A deputy was in tow with the mayor as she made her public appearance on Wednesday.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry has filed a lawsuit against Mayor Kaohly Her over allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, including making sexual comments towards the police chief and unwanted touching.
Lawsuit filed
What we know:
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday morning in Ramsey County Court, Axel Henry again accuses the mayor of sexual harassment, engaging in a campaign of retaliation against the police chief, and then minimizing the complaint against the mayor in the findings released by the city, which largely cleared the mayor.
The backstory:
Last week, the mayor released the investigative findings of the HR complaint against the mayor that found sexual harassment and retaliation claims brought against her were unsubstantiated.
Wednesday, FOX 9 confirmed a Pioneer Press report that Mayor Her was no longer using St. Paul police for her security detail. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office is now acting as Mayor Her's security team.
St. Paul police told FOX 9 the change was effective as of Sept. 8. Mayor Her declined to answer questions about the change during a news conference on Wednesday.
Allegations in the lawsuit
Dig deeper:
The lawsuit reveals some new allegations against the mayor and includes photos that Mayor Her allegedly photoshopped of the police chief.
The chief accuses the mayor of making sexual comments, including referring to herself as a "MILF" – a vulgar acronym that refers to an attractive mother. Henry also accuses the mayor of making sexual innuendos about his penis, stating that her marriage was in trouble and that she and the chief "needed to be friends" or "this was not going to work."
Henry accuses the mayor of going to the gym at times when she knew Henry would work out with other employees and making comments about them being "beefy." It also alleges she "simulated an orgasm" as she exerted herself while working out in the police gym. Henry says while former Mayor Carter had visited the police gym, Carter never used the facility regularly.
The lawsuit also claims that the mayor made unwanted physical contact with Henry by placing her hand on his upper thigh beneath a conference room table during a budget meeting.
Big picture view:
After Henry brought his complaint against the mayor for sexual harassment, the lawsuit claims Her and her staff "embarked on a campaign to retaliate against and discredit Chief Henry."
Henry also accuses the mayor's office of downplaying his complaint and releasing only a "sanitized" version of the final investigative report into Her's conduct.
Mayor's office responds to lawsuit
What they're saying:
In response to a FOX 9 inquiry, a mayor spokesperson said:
"An independent investigation did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment or retaliation against any city employee. The Mayor will continue to lead Saint Paul and follow the recommendations of the report. Beyond that, the City of Saint Paul doesn’t comment on active litigation."
The Source: This story uses a lawsuit filed in Ramsey County court, information from St. Paul police, and past FOX 9 reporting.