St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, a Democrat who has previously stated she is “illegal in this country,” faces a lawsuit from her city’s police chief over allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation.
According to court documents filed in Ramsey County District Court, St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry sued Mayor Her for allegedly engaging in inappropriate behavior, including sending memes about “good weinering”—an internet slang term for sexual intercourse—and creating a hostile environment for the chief’s staff. The lawsuit claims Her made unwanted physical contact with Henry during a budget meeting by placing her hand on his upper thigh twice, an act witnessed by Assistant Chief Paul Ford.
Court documents state that Her allegedly asked Henry at a police academy graduation: “Why is Tim’s bigger?” and made a facial expression suggesting the comment was a sexual innuendo regarding the size of Henry’s penis. When Henry requested clarification, Her pointed to his uniform ribbon bar. The complaint further alleges Her made loud grunting and moaning noises while exercising at the police department gym—intentionally exaggerated to appear sexual—and referred to officers as “beefy” during workouts.
On multiple occasions in January 2026, Her is accused of photoshopping faces of Henry and other police officials onto bodies including boy band members, UFC fighters, and bodybuilders with prominent bulges in their compression shorts. The lawsuit states she printed these images, placed them in gold frames, and displayed them throughout the police department—accessibly to both sworn officers and civilians. After two officers viewed one image, they remarked that their wives would be offended, while Chief Henry’s partner described the images as “offensive and utterly inappropriate.”
Her allegedly pasted her own headshot over official staff command portraits, department awards, and SWAT retirement plaques within police hallways. The complaint alleges Her scolded Henry for not finding the photoshopped pictures amusing, telling him he lacked “a sense of humor.” Following an internal investigation that found no evidence of sexual harassment or retaliation, the lawsuit claims Her’s administration retaliated by excluding Henry from personnel decisions, publicly criticizing his complaint, and granting raises to other command staff without extending them to him.
It was previously reported that Mayor Her shockingly admitted on the state House floor in June 2025 she and her parents are illegal in this country. The suit, which names the city as a defendant, asserts Her “embarked on a campaign” of retaliation against Chief Henry after he filed a human resources complaint. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial to determine damages for lost wages and benefits, emotional distress, humiliation, and harm to reputation. Mayor Her’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
