St. Paul mayor called herself MILF and touched police chiefs thigh, sexual harassment suit claims

The St.Paul, Minnesota, police chief has sued the city’s first female mayor, claiming that she sexually harassed him and “embarked on a campaign” of retaliation after he reported the alleged abuse.Chief Axel Henry, who has led the St.

Paul Police Department since 2022, said Mayor Kaohly Her grabbed “his upper thigh beneath a conference-room table — not once, but twice — during a (St.Paul Police Department) budget meeting.”Henry, in the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, said Her made sexual innuendos about the size of his penis and described herself to him as a “MILF,” which is an acronym for “mother I’d like to f---.”Her, according to the lawsuit, also confided in Henry that her own marriage was in trouble and warned the police chief that they “needed to be ‘friends’ or ‘this is not going to work.’”The 73-page lawsuit filed in Ramsey County District Court, which names Her and the city as defendants, also contains previously reported allegations that the mayor created “a hostile and demeaning environment” for his staff by sending a meme about “good weinering.”“Wienering” is an internet slang term for sexual intercourse and is frequently misspelled as “weinering.”Henry is seeking a jury trial to determine damages for “lost wages and benefits, emotional distress, humiliation, and harm to reputation.”In response to Henry’s lawsuit, Her’s chief spokesperson, Matt Wagenius, released a statement denying the police chief’s major allegations.

“An independent investigation did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment or retaliation against any city employee,” it said.“The Mayor will continue to lead Saint Paul and follow the recommendations of the report.

Beyond that, the City of Saint Paul doesn’t comment on active litigation.”That investigation did, however, conclude that Her “engaged in offensive and inappropriate behavior” with her employees.The mayor has issued two apologies and explained that ...