The City Council found out from the news, four months late
ProcessKSTPJul 30, 2026The complaint was filed April 1 and an outside law firm was retained the same day. Council members say they learned about both from media reports at the end of July. Ward 4’s Molly Coleman called the lack of transparency “unacceptable” and said the administration should have told the Council before hiring outside counsel. It took until September 30 — one day shy of six months after the complaint letter — for the administration to brief the Council at all, in a closed-door session minutes before asking it to fund the mayor’s legal defense.
The lack of transparency related to this matter to date is unacceptable.
Where things stand: the city’s outside investigation did not substantiate sexual harassment or retaliation. The police chief’s lawsuit is pending and its claims are allegations. Mayor Her has apologized for crossing lines and says she will vigorously defend against the suit.