ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry has sued Mayor Kaohly Her and the City of St. Paul, accusing the mayor of sexual harassment, battery and retaliation in a 73-page complaint filed Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court.

The lawsuit, which demands a jury trial and statutory damages, lays out a series of alleged encounters — sexual comments, doctored photos, and two instances of unwanted touching — that Henry says occurred over the course of his working relationship with Her, the city's first female mayor.

The allegations have not been proven in court. Her's office has pointed to a city investigation that did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment or retaliation.

WHAT THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES

According to the complaint, Her repeatedly made sexual comments and innuendos directed at Henry and other officers. Among the allegations, as reported by the Star Tribune and other outlets:

At a Police Academy graduation on February 19, 2026, while standing with Henry and Deputy Chief Tim Flynn, Her allegedly asked Henry, "Why is Tim's bigger?" — with what the filing describes as a facial expression suggesting a sexual innuendo about penis size. When Henry asked what she meant, she allegedly pointed to the ribbon bar on his uniform.

Her allegedly referred to herself as a "MILF," a sexually vulgar acronym, in comments to the chief.

Her allegedly placed her hand on Henry's upper thigh beneath a conference-room table — "not once, but twice" — during a St. Paul Police Department budget meeting in March, which the suit describes as "unwanted and nonconsensual physical contact."

Her allegedly made sexual noises, described as orgasm noises, at the police department gym.

Her allegedly shared doctored photos with officers' faces photoshopped onto "bodybuilders with prominent bulges in the crotch area."

Her allegedly told Henry her marriage was in trouble and that he "needed to be friends" with her or "this was not going to work," pressing for what she described as a "close relationship."

Her allegedly went out of her way to "surprise" Henry outside the office, including at a golf simulator in Woodbury, Minnesota.

The complaint brings claims under Minnesota's Government Data Practices Act, Whistleblower Act and Human Rights Act, plus an aiding-and-abetting claim and a common-law battery claim against Her individually. Henry is seeking damages he attributes to the alleged conduct, including lost wages and benefits, emotional distress, humiliation and damage to his reputation.

THE CITY'S INVESTIGATION

The lawsuit comes less than a week after the city released a summary of an outside investigation into Her's conduct. That probe, completed September 14, concluded that the mayor had "engaged in offensive and inappropriate behavior" in violation of the city's workplace conduct policy — but did not substantiate allegations of sexual harassment or retaliation, the Star Tribune reported.

Henry's lawsuit calls the two-page summary a "whitewash" and seeks the full investigative report under the state's data-practices law. The complete report has not been publicly released.

Matt Wagenius, a spokesman for Her, said in a statement that the independent investigation "did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment or retaliation against any city employee."

RETALIATION CLAIMS

Beyond the harassment allegations, the suit claims the city retaliated against Henry after he reported the conduct and initiated the investigation. Among other things, the complaint alleges Her hired a private public relations firm to discredit Henry, and that city officials violated the Minnesota Whistleblower Act through "a series of retaliatory acts."

In a related development, Her moved her personal security detail from the St. Paul Police Department to Ramsey County deputies in early September. The mayor's office said the change was made to reduce the burden on police and address ongoing threats.

THE MAYOR STAYS

Her has indicated she will not leave office. A spokesperson told WCCO she will "continue to lead Saint Paul." Removing her would be a complicated process.

Most city council members did not respond to requests for comment. Council Member Cheniqua Johnson said it would be "inappropriate" to comment on the specifics of pending litigation, but said there are no conversations in council chambers about confidence in the mayor. "I trust my electorate and the people who are placing her there in the first place," Johnson said.

WHAT'S NEXT

The case now turns to courtroom discovery and witness testimony, with legal fights expected over the full investigative file. The allegations remain unproven, and NCN will continue to follow this story as it develops.

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