St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry has sued Mayor Kaohly Her, escalating a misconduct fight that already produced a city probe.
Henry, the city’s top cop, filed the 73-page lawsuit against Her on Wednesday in Minnesota state court. The action comes less than a week after St. Paul released a summary of its own investigation, which found Her engaged in “offensive and inappropriate behavior” but stopped short of substantiating sexual harassment or retaliation claims.
The lawsuit dramatically expands on the incidents outlined in the city’s probe, detailing alleged conduct at public events, inside police facilities, and during one-on-one encounters. At a Police Academy graduation on Feb. 19, Her allegedly stood with Henry and Deputy Chief Tim Flynn and asked the chief, “Why is Tim’s bigger?” while making a facial expression Henry interpreted as sexual innuendo about his penis size, the filing claims. When Henry asked what she meant, Her allegedly pointed toward the ribbon bar on his uniform. She then allegedly asked what his “MFF” Mobile Field Force ribbon stood for, and after he explained, snarked, “Oh, I thought it said MILF so maybe I could get one.”
Her’s alleged pattern of behavior extended to the police department gym beginning in November 2025. The mayor would show up daily when she knew Henry would be working out and repeatedly make loud grunting and moaning noises while exercising that sounded like she was having an orgasm, according to at least five officers who witnessed the sounds. She allegedly approached officers working out and called them “beefy.”
The lawsuit also claims Her created and displayed doctored images of department members. On multiple occasions in January 2026, she allegedly photoshopped the faces of Henry and other officers onto bodies including boy bands, UFC fighters, and “bodybuilders with prominent bulges in the crotch area of their compression shorts.” She printed and hung these in gold frames and pasted her own headshot over official staff command portraits, department awards and SWAT retirement plaques in police department hallways, the filing alleges. When two officers saw one image, “they both remarked that their wives would be offended if they saw it,” and “Chief Henry’s long-time partner found the photograph offensive and utterly inappropriate,” the complaint stated. Henry said Her scolded him for not finding the photos funny and accused him of not having “a sense of humor.”
Physical contact allegations feature prominently in the suit. On March 18, during a police department budget meeting, Her allegedly moved to sit directly next to Henry, placed her hand beneath the table on his upper thigh twice without consent, and extended her fingers toward his groin the second time. Earlier, on Feb. 6, she allegedly tracked Henry’s calendar, followed him to an X Golf location while he was on vacation with a sergeant, told them she “had to come like this because you guys wouldn’t invite me,” and left after 20 minutes.
The retaliation claims form a major pillar of Henry’s case. “[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 stated. “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.”
Henry’s formal complaint to the city attorney on April 1 triggered the city’s probe, which found Her sent “inappropriate, and indeed, unlawful text messages” to city staffers, including one about getting a “good weinering.” The lawsuit now demands the city release the full investigation report and requests a jury trial for damages including “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. “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.”
Matt Wagenius, a spokesperson for the mayor, declined to address the litigation directly. “An independent investigation did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment or retaliation against any city employee,” Wagenius said. “The Mayor will continue to lead Saint Paul and follow the recommendations of the report.”
Her, who has described herself as a “MILF,” took office as St. Paul’s first female mayor and now faces the lawsuit just six months into her term.