St. Paul police chief adds personal retaliation claim against Mayor Her
St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry filed an amended complaint on Oct. 18, 2026 adding a reprisal claim against Mayor Kaohly Her in her personal capacity under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.[1]
The amended filing says Her publicly accused Henry of lying, suggested motives for his complaint, and excluded him from personnel decision-making in retaliation.[1] The suit also cites a YouTube interview Her gave in Hmong with former council member Dai Thao, which was translated by the Pioneer Press and appears in the complaint.[1]
Police Chief Axel Henry originally sued Mayor Her on Sept. 23, 2026 alleging sexual harassment and retaliation, including graphic claims about comments, simulated sexual noises in the police gym, and unwanted physical contact.[2] Henry has said the city released only a two-page summary from HR Director Kamaria Kassim and withheld the full investigative report, a summary he called a "whitewash" and which he argues violates state law.[3] The city later released a full 76-page independent report on Oct. 2 that found Her "acted inappropriately" and shared inappropriate photographs but stopped short of calling the conduct sexual harassment.[4]
Early coverage highlighted the severity of Henry's allegations, but the release of the 76-page report shifted mainstream framing by emphasizing inappropriate behavior without labeling it sexual harassment.[2][4]
Show source details & analysis (6 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- Police Chief Axel Henry filed a civil lawsuit in Ramsey County Court on Sept. 23, 2026, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation by Mayor Kaohly Her (Police Chief Axel Henry).
- The complaint includes graphic allegations that Mayor Kaohly Her called herself a 'MILF,' made sexual innuendos about Henry’s penis, said her marriage was in trouble and they 'needed to be friends,' and allegedly simulated an orgasm while working out in the police gym (Mayor Kaohly Her).
- Henry alleges unwanted physical contact, including the mayor placing her hand on his upper thigh under a conference table during a budget meeting (placing her hand on his upper thigh).
- Henry's lawsuit accuses Mayor Her and her staff of launching a retaliation and PR campaign and says the city released only a 'sanitized' two-page summary of an internal investigation while withholding the full report — a summary he calls a 'whitewash' and contends the withholding violates state law (two-page summary).
- City HR Director Kamaria Kassim issued the two-page letter summarizing the investigation, which the complaint says was completed Sept. 14, 2026, but the full report was not released initially even after Henry sued (Kamaria Kassim).
- An independent 76-page investigative report released Oct. 2, 2026, explicitly found Mayor Kaohly Her 'acted inappropriately' with employees and 'shared inappropriate photographs' but stopped short of labeling the conduct 'sexual harassment' (76-page investigative report).
- In an amended complaint filed Oct. 18, 2026, Henry added a separate reprisal claim against Mayor Kaohly Her in her personal capacity under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, alleging public statements that accused him of lying and actions that excluded him from personnel decision‑making (amended complaint).
- The amended complaint specifically cites a YouTube interview Her gave in Hmong with former council member Dai Thao (translated by the Pioneer Press) in which she said she should have been more cautious, framed the calls as work‑related and denied trying to date Henry (YouTube interview).
- St. Paul City Council held a closed-door meeting on Sept. 30, 2026, demanded release of the full independent-investigation report (not just the two-page summary), and is weighing hiring outside counsel after the city attorney flagged a potential conflict that could allow outside attorneys to bill up to $500 per hour (St. Paul City Council).
- Employment attorney Marshall Tanick said choosing the phrase 'acted inappropriately' instead of 'sexual harassment' appears intended to limit the city's legal exposure, predicted a 'high six‑figure' settlement likely to be paid by taxpayers, and warned other city employees could file additional lawsuits (Marshall Tanick).
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
October 18, 2026
9:32 PM
St. Paul police chief's lawsuit adds new claim against Mayor Her
New information:
- Police Chief Axel Henry has filed an amended lawsuit adding a separate reprisal claim against Mayor Kaohly Her in her personal capacity under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
- The new reprisal count cites Her’s public statements accusing Henry of lying about her conduct, suggesting motives for his complaint, and allegedly excluding him from personnel decision‑making as retaliatory acts.
- The amended complaint specifically references a YouTube interview Her gave in Hmong with former council member Dai Thao, translated by the Pioneer Press, in which she says she should have been more cautious in her interactions, frames her calls as work‑related, and denies trying to date Henry.
October 03, 2026
2:12 AM
Employment attorney reacts to St. Paul mayor scandal: ‘Big mess with a capital M’
New information:
- The independent investigation’s full 76-page report has now been released and explicitly finds Mayor Kaohly Her 'acted inappropriately' with employees and 'shared inappropriate photographs' but stops short of labeling it 'sexual harassment.'
- Veteran employment attorney Marshall Tanick says the choice to avoid the term 'sexual harassment' is likely intentional to reduce the city’s legal exposure, calling 'acted inappropriately' a euphemism.
- Tanick characterizes Chief Axel Henry’s case as still 'a fairly easy' win — a 'layup' rather than a 'slam dunk' — and predicts a 'high six‑figure' settlement that would be paid by St. Paul taxpayers.
- Tanick warns Henry’s suit is likely not a 'one‑off' and suggests additional lawsuits by other city employees could follow, given the report indicates broader misconduct.
September 30, 2026
1:01 PM
St. Paul City Council to discuss sexual harassment lawsuit against Mayor Kaohly Her
New information:
- St. Paul City Council is holding a closed-door meeting Wednesday specifically to discuss Police Chief Axel Henry’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Mayor Kaohly Her.
- The council is now formally calling for the full independent-investigation report on the mayor’s conduct to be released to the public, not just the two-page summary.
- The city attorney has flagged a potential conflict in defending the mayor, leading council members to consider hiring an outside law firm that could bill up to $500 per hour from the city’s operating budget.
- In a public statement, the council said the mayor and her administration must show they can continue to lead the city and manage functional relationships with all departments, including St. Paul Police, during the litigation.
September 25, 2026
2:50 AM
St. Paul police chief seeks full report on harassment investigation, calls summary a 'whitewash'
New information:
- Confirms that the city’s HR investigation found Mayor Her created and shared offensive material, engaged in offensive behavior, and created an uncomfortable work environment, but said it could not substantiate sexual harassment or retaliation claims.
- Identifies HR Director Kamaria Kassim as the official who issued a two-page letter summarizing the investigation’s findings.
- Details that Henry’s lawsuit explicitly labels the city’s investigation a “whitewash” and alleges the city gave Mayor Her a detailed accounting of findings while withholding the full report from him.
- Henry’s suit specifically argues the city’s refusal to provide the full report violates state law, not just internal policy.
- Specifies that Henry disputes the finding that sexual noises at the police gym were “not substantiated,” asserting at least five witnesses heard it and will testify.
- Includes a pointed statement from Henry’s attorney Chris Madel criticizing the city’s “sanitized summary written by the city about itself” and calling for all evidence to be heard in court.
- Clarifies that the investigation was completed Sept. 14 and that the full report has not been released, even after the lawsuit filing.
September 23, 2026
8:11 PM
St. Paul police chief sues Mayor Her over sexual harassment claims
New information:
- Police Chief Axel Henry has now filed a civil lawsuit in Ramsey County Court against Mayor Kaohly Her alleging sexual harassment and retaliation.
- The complaint lays out specific, graphic allegations: the mayor calling herself a "MILF," making sexual innuendos about Henry’s penis, saying her marriage was in trouble and that they ‘needed to be friends,’ and allegedly simulating an orgasm while working out in the police gym.
- Henry alleges unwanted physical contact, including the mayor placing her hand on his upper thigh under a conference table during a budget meeting.
- The lawsuit accuses Her and her staff of launching a retaliation and PR campaign against Henry and of releasing only a ‘sanitized’ version of the internal investigative report that largely cleared the mayor.
- The mayor’s office responded by pointing to an ‘independent investigation’ that did not substantiate harassment or retaliation claims and declined further comment citing active litigation.