St. Paul Police Chief Files Civil Suit Against Mayor Over Alleged Harassment and Retaliation

Key points

• Axel Henry filed a civil complaint in Ramsey County District Court on Wednesday, alleging Mayor Kaohly Her sexually harassed him and retaliated after he filed a human resources complaint.
• The lawsuit claims Her touched Henry’s thigh under a conference table during a March 18 budget meeting and made sexual comments, including describing herself with a sexualized acronym.
• Henry alleges Her altered official photographs of police command staff, replacing their bodies with those of bodybuilders, and that she visited him unannounced at a golf simulator in Woodbury.
• The suit claims the city retaliated by excluding Henry from personnel decisions and denying him raises given to other command staff members.
• Henry’s attorney argues the city violated the Minnesota Whistleblower Act by withholding the full investigative report and releasing only a sanitized summary that minimized the allegations.

Background

This litigation follows the release of a two-page summary of an independent investigation on September 19, which found Her engaged in offensive and inappropriate conduct but did not substantiate sexual harassment or retaliation. The investigation recommended Her undergo training and hire an executive coach. Prior to this, Her had removed St. Paul police officers from her security detail, replacing them with Ramsey County deputies, a move the city attributed to workload reduction and threat assessments rather than the harassment complaint.

How outlets are covering it

MPR News and 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS emphasize the specific physical and verbal allegations in the 73-page complaint, highlighting the contrast between the detailed lawsuit and the city’s brief summary of findings. Axios focuses on the broader political implications, noting that Henry viewed filing the complaint as ending his career and that the investigation’s findings remain contested. Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul highlights the operational shift in Her’s security detail, noting that while the city cited workload and political violence threats, the change occurred shortly after the harassment complaint. All sources agree that Her’s spokesperson maintains the investigation did not substantiate harassment claims and that the city will not comment on active litigation.

Why it matters

The lawsuit threatens to destabilize St. Paul City Hall by challenging the city’s handling of the investigation and potentially exposing the full report. It raises questions about transparency in municipal investigations and the power dynamics between a mayor and a police chief. The outcome could influence future workplace conduct policies and the relationship between city leadership and law enforcement in Minnesota.

What to watch

The case will proceed through the civil court system, with Henry’s attorney seeking to prove the allegations and compel the release of the full investigative report. The city is expected to defend its summary findings and the conduct of the investigation. Her’s office has indicated she will follow the recommendations of the independent investigation, which include professional development and boundary training.