St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, a Democrat who has referred to herself as a “MILF,” is facing a lawsuit from the city’s police chief, who accuses her of sexual harassment and retaliation, according to court records.
Police Chief Axel Henry sued Her on Wednesday, alleging a series of “inappropriate” incidents. The complaint says Her made comments about the size of Henry’s penis, touched his upper thigh during a budget meeting, made orgasm-like noises while exercising at the police gym and altered officers’ faces onto images of “bodybuilders with prominent bulges in the crotch area.”
The allegations became public less than a week after St. Paul released findings from an internal misconduct investigation. That review concluded Her had “engaged in offensive and inappropriate behavior,” but determined that the evidence did not establish sexual harassment or retaliation, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
Henry’s 73-page complaint includes numerous additional accusations beyond those outlined in the city’s investigation.
According to the lawsuit, several alleged incidents occurred during public appearances and official government events.
At a Police Academy graduation on Feb. 19, 2026, Her was standing with Henry and Deputy Chief Tim Flynn when she allegedly asked the police chief, “Why is Tim’s bigger?” The complaint says her facial expression suggested she was making a sexual reference to the men’s penis sizes.
Henry reportedly asked what she meant, prompting Her to point toward the ribbon bar on his uniform.
During the same exchange, Her allegedly asked Henry what his “MFF” ribbon represented, even though she had already been briefed on the events for which the decoration is awarded.
When Henry explained that MFF stood for Mobile Field Force, Her allegedly replied, “Oh, I thought it said MILF so maybe I could get one,” the court filing states.
Henry also accuses Her of repeatedly targeting him at the St. Paul Police Department gym. Beginning in November 2025, she allegedly appeared there each day when she knew the chief would be exercising.
The mayor allegedly made loud grunts and moans while working out, sounds that Henry said resembled an orgasm. At least five officers reportedly witnessed the behavior, according to the complaint.
She also allegedly approached officers during their workouts and referred to them as “beefy.”
The lawsuit further alleges that, on several occasions in January 2026, Her used Photoshop to place the faces of Henry and other department members onto images of boy-band performers, UFC fighters and “bodybuilders with prominent bulges in the crotch area of their compression shorts.”
Two officers who saw one of the edited images reportedly said their wives would be offended by it. Henry’s longtime partner also described the photograph as offensive and “utterly inappropriate,” the complaint says.
Her allegedly printed the altered images, placed them in gold frames and displayed them in police department hallways. She also reportedly covered official command portraits, department awards and SWAT retirement plaques with her own headshot, leaving images that mocked and sexualized department leadership visible to sworn officers and members of the public, according to the suit.
When Henry did not laugh at the images, Her allegedly reprimanded him and accused him of lacking “a sense of humor,” the filing states.
The complaint also describes several alleged incidents involving unwanted touching and sexual advances.
Henry claims Her tracked his schedule and followed him to an X Golf facility on Feb. 6, 2026, while he was on vacation with a sergeant from the department.
According to the filing, Her told the two men she “had to come like this because you guys wouldn’t invite me” before leaving roughly 20 minutes later.
At a police department budget meeting on March 18, 2026, Her allegedly moved into the seat beside Henry and twice placed her hand under the table on his upper thigh without his consent. The lawsuit says her fingers moved toward his groin during the second alleged contact.
The complaint also claims the mayor and her administration engaged in an extensive campaign of retaliation designed to discredit Henry, interfere with police department operations, and penalize him professionally after coming forward with his complaint.
“[Henry] knew that accusing the Mayor of St. Paul of sexual harassment could jeopardize his career. He reported it anyway. He did so because he recognized the seriousness of the misconduct, the vulnerability of those subjected to it, and the likelihood that the conduct would continue if no one spoke up,” the complaint said.
“But instead of accountability, the retaliation began. Rather than confront Mayor Her’s misconduct, her administration, and those acting at her direction, embarked on a campaign to retaliate against and discredit Chief Henry,” the filing continued.
Her was probed just six months into her term after Henry filed a formal complaint with the city attorney on April 1, alleging that she sent “inappropriate, and indeed, unlawful text messages” to city staffers — including one about getting a “good weinering.”
Henry’s subsequent lawsuit demands that the city release the full report on its investigation into Her as a result of his complaint and also requests a jury trial to determine damages for “lost wages and benefits, emotional distress, humiliation, and harm to reputation.”
“Axel Henry is an honorable man and a dedicated public servant. He didn’t come forward for attention or advantage — he came forward because what happened was wrong and needed to be reported,” Henry’s attorney, Chris Madel, said in a statement to the Tribune.
“We look forward to proving our allegations in a court of law, where all evidence, not some sanitized summary written by the City about itself, can finally be heard.”
Meanwhile, Matt Wagenius, a spokesperson for the mayor, said the city does not comment on pending litigation.
“An independent investigation did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment or retaliation against any city employee,” Wagenius told the local publication.
“The Mayor will continue to lead Saint Paul and follow the recommendations of the report.”
