The police chief of St. Paul, Minn., alleged in a lawsuit this week that the city’s mayor sexually harassed him and other police department employees and retaliated against him when he reported the incidents.

In a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court, Chief Axel Henry alleged that Mayor Kaohly Her sexually harassed him and other department employees beginning in December through the first few months of this year. He alleges the mayor then withheld a pay increase and paid a public relations firm to “attack” him as a form of retaliation.

Henry alleged in the suit that Her made remarks containing sexual innuendo, twice put her hand on his upper thigh during a department budget meeting and described herself using a vulgar acronym. Henry also said the mayor sent “sexually inappropriate” text messages to other department employees, which he said “created a hostile and demeaning work environment.”

The lawsuit was filed five days after the city released a summary of a human resources investigation into the mayor that Henry’s lawsuit said was prompted by his complaint. The summary said the investigation concluded that the mayor “engaged in offensive and inappropriate behavior with City employees,” “created and shared offensive material” — including doctored images of Henry and other police officers — and “created an uncomfortable work environment.” It did not substantiate allegations that Her engaged in sexual harassment of city employees or retaliated against any employees.

But Henry’s lawsuit said the probe was inadequate and that some of its conclusions were false, including the claim that Her “did not make sounds resembling an orgasm in the [police] gym,” which at least five people heard, according to the complaint. (The complaint says that at least four witnesses told city investigators about those sounds and that the investigators never spoke to a fifth person.)

The lawsuit also argued that the city released a “sanitized version” of the actual report in what it alleges is part of a “broader pattern” of “selectively disclosing information favorable to Mayor Her while withholding information concerning Chief Henry and the conduct he reported.”

Henry, 58, has worked with the St. Paul Police Department since 1998 and has been police chief since November 2022, according to his official biography. He is seeking a jury trial.

Christopher Madel, a lawyer for Henry, would not comment on the details of the lawsuit on Friday. He told MS NOW that “we intend to prove all of our allegations in court.” He said Henry “is singularly focused on keeping St. Paul citizens safe.”

In a statement provided to MS NOW, Matt Wagenius, a spokesperson for the mayor, pointed to the findings of the independent investigation. Wagenius said the mayor “fully cooperated” with the probe into her conduct and “has publicly released everything she’s received related to the findings to-date.”

“The Mayor will continue to lead Saint Paul and follow the recommendations of the report,” Wagenius said. “Beyond that, the City of Saint Paul doesn’t comment on active litigation.”

Her, 53, a Democrat, won her election last year by fewer than 2,000 votes, and previously served in the statehouse. She is married and has two children.

In a Sept. 18 statement released alongside the summary of the investigation, Her acknowledged that she was “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,” she added.

Her also said she intended “to comply with all of the recommended action steps” put forth by the HR director, which included maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, attending a training on workplace conduct and personally paying for an executive coach.

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