The mayor of one of North Dakota’s largest cities has stepped down following an investigation into a lewd video he mistakenly sent to the city attorney.
Tom Ross, the mayor of Minot, resigned on Tuesday, the same day an investigative report was released. The report found that in January, Ross accidentally sent a video of himself masturbating to City Attorney Stefanie Stalheim just minutes after they had a phone conversation about a police officer’s suicide.
Investigation and findings
Ross reportedly asked Stalheim to delete the video, not watch it, and keep the incident private. He later explained that he had recorded the video at home during a lunch break and had intended to send it to his romantic partner instead. He described it as “a sexy video for his girlfriend.”
The report noted that Stalheim struggled with whether to file a formal complaint, given that Ross was her direct supervisor and her annual performance review was pending at the time. Her complaint requested an apology from Ross and asked that he consider resigning as mayor.
The investigation concluded that Ross’s actions created an offensive work environment and violated Stalheim’s right to work free from unreasonable sexual harassment.
Ross’s response and resignation
On Wednesday, Ross said he takes full responsibility for his actions and holds Stalheim “in the utmost regard and respect.” He added that he had delayed his resignation “to respect the process” and now plans to focus on himself, healing, and moving forward with his family.
Stalheim has not commented publicly on the incident.
City council to appoint new mayor
Following Ross’s resignation, the Minot City Council voted to appoint a new mayor within 15 days unless citizens petition for a special election.
Ross was elected mayor in 2022 after serving two years on the city council. Minot, which is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the Canadian border, has a population of more than 47,000 people.
