The mayor of North Dakota’s fourth largest city has stepped down after allegedly sending an inappropriate video to a city attorney by mistake.
Shortly after 3 PM on Tuesday, Tom Ross resigned as Mayor of Minot, a city with around 47,000 residents located approximately 50 miles south of the Canadian border, perhaps most recognized for its Air Force Base. His resignation follows an investigation into a video that seemingly was sent to city attorney Stephanie Stalheim a few months prior.
On the morning of January 14th, Ross is reported A police officer from the Minot Police Station contacted Stalheim to inform her about a suicide case. Just 11 minutes after this call, Ross reportedly texted Stalheim with the video attached.
Shortly after sending the video, Ross called Stalheim yet again. This time, as indicated by a city report, he confessed that he mistakenly sent a “provocative video” intended for his girlfriend. Ross then urged Stalheim to not share the video and to delete it to avoid embarrassment.
At that moment, Stalheim was with Monica Porterfield, an HR staff member. Stalheim requested Porterfield to delete the text, but during the attempt, Porterfield unintentionally played the video. It reportedly showed Ross pleasuring himself.
Two weeks later, Stalheim lodged a sexual harassment complaint against Ross. In the complaint, she sought a formal apology, prompting Ross to contemplate resignation.
In conversations with investigators, Ross clearly acknowledged his blunder. He stated that he had recorded an amateur video during his lunch break but sent it to the wrong contact while searching for names. His girlfriend’s name also starts with "C."
The report highlighted that Ross had conducted public business using his personal cell phone.
"I believe Minot is fine. …We will manage to recover from this well."
On Tuesday, the city provided a revised version of the report. The document claimed that Ross “directly caused Stalheim’s inability to work in an environment free of unreasonable sexual harassment, leading to a hostile work environment.” Shortly after, Ross resigned.
"I accept responsibility for this error. I attempted to rectify it immediately, but it was unsuccessful," Ross stated in a comment to the New York Post. "The choices I’ve made will tarnish my contributions to the city of Minot. I dedicated my heart and soul to this community."
Ross became a member of the Minot City Council in 2020 and assumed the mayoral office in 2022.
For now, Council President Mark Janzer will act as the interim mayor. Residents are in the process of petitioning for a special mayoral election over the next two weeks. If the petition fails, the City Council will appoint a permanent successor to complete Ross’s term.
"I am confident Minot will thrive, and we have a strong team of employees. Our city council members are diligent, and I believe we will navigate this situation successfully," Janzer commented.
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