St. Paul mayor Kaohly Her reportedly under investigation for alleged sexual harassment, city contracts outside law firm to review complaint

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her is reportedly the subject of an investigation into alleged sexual harassment after a complaint was filed by the city’s police chief, according to a report published July 30. The allegations center on claims that the mayor sent inappropriate messages to city employees, prompting city leaders to seek an external process rather than handling the matter internally.

The report says the Minnesota city has contracted an outside law firm to conduct an independent inquiry into the complaint and the underlying allegations. The arrangement is described as an effort to use independent review procedures while the matter is being investigated, with the law firm tasked with examining the conduct in question and the circumstances described in the complaint.

According to the report, the complaint was filed by St. Paul’s police chief, who is also identified as the complainant in the reporting. The police chief’s involvement places the issue within the administration of city public safety leadership, while the allegations are directed at the mayor’s communications with employees rather than conduct tied to any specific criminal case or court filing in the report.

The reporting characterizes Her as St. Paul’s first female mayor and identifies her as a Democrat. The Guardian report does not indicate that Her has been charged with any wrongdoing, nor does it describe any criminal proceedings tied to the allegations. Instead, the reported next step is an independent inquiry arranged by city leadership through an outside firm.

The story highlights that the allegations concern inappropriate messages to employees, meaning the fact pattern as described in the report is primarily about workplace communications. The use of an outside law firm suggests the city is aiming for a procedure designed to address due process concerns and establish a documented record of what occurred, who was involved, and what evidence supports or disputes the claims.

City officials have not, in the report provided, laid out the full scope of the investigation or published details such as the firm’s identity, the timeline for completion, or whether any interim workplace restrictions were put in place. The report’s framing indicates the inquiry is at an active stage, with the next determinations expected to follow after the outside review is concluded.

If the independent inquiry confirms misconduct as alleged, the city may face decisions on personnel and leadership matters, as well as policies for workplace standards and communications. If the inquiry does not substantiate the allegations, the city would likely still retain the results of the independent process as a record of how the complaint was handled under city contracting and employment standards.