St. Paul mayor faces independent probe over alleged sexual harassment of staff

St. Paul’s first female mayor, Kaohly Her, is the subject of an independent investigation after Police Chief Axel Henry lodged a formal harassment complaint on April 1. The complaint alleges that Her repeatedly sent inappropriate mobile messages to city staff, some of which contained sexual innuendo, and that the conduct was not limited to a single incident. City officials engaged an outside firm, Resolute Law, to examine the claims, with employment-law expert Cally Kjellberg-Nelson overseeing the inquiry.

Her responded in a statement to one outlet, saying she has cooperated fully and believes the full facts will emerge, while acknowledging that some jokes fell short of her standards. Her spokesperson, Matt Wagenius, declined to comment on specifics and said any public release of the report would follow applicable laws. Chief Henry has refused media interviews but emphasized the need to protect employees and prevent retaliation.