The police chief of St. Paul, Minnesota, has lodged a sexual harassment complaint against the city’s first female mayor. Allegations suggest the mayor behaved inappropriately toward the chief and other department members, according to a report by a local NBC affiliate.
St. Paul has engaged an external law firm to investigate Mayor Kaohly Her, who assumed office seven months ago. Chief Axel Henry, serving as head of the St. Paul Police Department since 2022, detailed these accusations in an April 1 letter addressed to the St. Paul City Attorney. The complaint letter was authored by his lawyer, Christopher Madel, and acquired by the NBC affiliate, KARE 11.
The City is on notice that Mayor Her has engaged in illegal conduct towards City employees,Madel wrote.
Madel emphasized that Mayor Her’s actions were not isolated incidents. They included sexual harassment of subordinate employees, particularly within the police department.
The complaint cited a specific instance involving a purported text message from Mayor Her to an anonymous city employee which read, “Happy Weiner (sic) Wednesday! Wish I was having a (hot dog emoji) with you all on 6 today!”
Reportedly, the text included an internet meme featuring a swaddled baby with an adult’s redacted head, with a caption referencing inappropriate behavior. The slang term “wienering” often refers to sexual intercourse.
The letter indicated Her’s use of mobile phones for inappropriate and unlawful text communications, though detailed examples beyond this were not provided.
Madel suggested imminent litigation, advocating for immediate action to extract all data from Mayor Her’s mobile devices.
Neither Matt Wagenius, mayor’s spokesperson, nor police spokesperson Nikki Muehlhausen provided comments when contacted.
The allegations are being investigated by Resolute Law, a St. Cloud-based firm, recognized as women-owned. The firm has not commented on the investigation’s progress.
Mayor Her, originally from Laos, spent part of her early life in a refugee camp. She migrated to the U.S. at age three and was raised in Illinois and Wisconsin, as per her campaign biography.
Past controversies surround the mayor, including a restraining order petition by a former friend last year, citing inappropriate behavior. However, the petition was declined by a court, with findings showing no threats or involvement in the complainant’s removal from the National Kidney Foundation Board.
Chief nominee Axel Henry expressed no current comments while addressing the media in Saint Paul, dated November 1, 2022.
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