St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry filed a 73-page civil lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court against Mayor Kaohly Her and the city, alleging sexual harassment, battery, and professional retaliation, including claims that the mayor touched his thigh during meetings and referred to herself as a MILF.
Lawsuit Details and Specific Allegations Against Mayor Her
Chief Axel Henry, who has led the St. Paul Police Department since 2022, outlined multiple encounters in his 73-page civil complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court. The lawsuit names both Her and the city as defendants, bringing six counts, including violation of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, violation of the Minnesota Whistleblower Act, sexual harassment in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, reprisal, aiding and abetting in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act and common law battery.
According to the filing, the mayor grabbed his upper thigh beneath a conference-room table — not once, but twice — during a (St. Paul Police Department) budget meeting.
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.’
Henry is seeking a jury trial to determine damages for lost wages and benefits, emotional distress, humiliation, and harm to reputation,
and the lawsuit seeks compensatory damages in excess of $50,000, as well as attorney’s fees. During a bar meeting where the mayor allegedly drank THC-infused drinks, she allegedly told the chief he needed to “be her friend” or just a colleague
or “go,” which he interpreted to mean “resign.” St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry filed the lawsuit against Mayor Kaohly Her on Wednesday, accusing the city’s first female mayor of a slew of “inappropriate” encounters — including comparing the top cop’s penis size, touching his upper thigh during a budget meeting, making orgasm noises at the police department gym, and photoshopping officers’ faces onto bodybuilders with prominent bulges in the crotch area.
While standing with Henry and Deputy Chief Tim Flynn at a Police Academy graduation on Feb. 19, 2026, Her allegedly asked the police chief, Why is Tim’s bigger?
Gym Incidents, Photoshopped Images, and Off-Site Encounters
The lawsuit contains a whole slew of troubling accusations against Her on top of the ones released in the city’s probe. The 73-page civil complaint alleges that the mayor made frequent jokes and comments of a sexual nature to both Henry and his officers, hung sexualized images of Henry and other officers in a gold frame in his office and made orgasm-like noises in front of his officers at the gym, among other inappropriate comments. Her is accused of photoshopping the faces of Henry and other SPPD personnel onto the bodies of bodybuilders and mixed martial arts fighters. The mayor also drove to Woodbury to surprise him at a golf simulator while he was on vacation. The 73-page lawsuit filed in Ramsey County District Court also contains previously reported allegations that the mayor created a hostile and demeaning environment
for his staff by sending a meme about good weinering,
where “wienering” is an internet slang term for sexual intercourse and is frequently misspelled as “weinering.”
City Response, Independent Investigation Findings, and Security Changes
In response to Henry’s lawsuit, Her’s chief spokesperson, Matt Wagenius, released a statement denying the police chief’s major allegations. In a written statement issued by the mayor’s office Wednesday, the office denied the accusations and pointed to the recent findings of an outside investigation. A summary of the investigation, which has not been made public in full, found that the mayor engaged in offensive and inappropriate behavior. An independent investigation did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment or retaliation against any city employee. The lawsuit against Her and the city comes after an investigative summary report regarding Her’s conduct was released by the city and stated that she had acted inappropriately toward St. Paul Police Department employees but did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment. In addition to outlining numerous instances of “inappropriate” comments, pranks and physical touching, the 73-page filing accuses the city of withholding the full sexual harassment investigative report, opting instead to release a summary of the findings.