DETROIT – A photographer who worked at the Detroit Athletic Club has filed a lawsuit that says her supervisor bombarded her with sexual advances. She said when she reported the issue, she lost work with the club.
The DAC is a well-known, high-end club with about 5,000 members. It hosts many influential parties and gatherings.
The new lawsuit in’t about the people involved with the club -- it’s more about the management around them.
Cybelle Codish is a photographer who has won a $25,000 Kresge Foundation visual arts fellow designation. She’s published pictures in Rolling Stone, National Geographic and Shot album covers.
Codish said she made about $70,000 a year taking event pictures for the DAC. Her boss was now-retired newsletter editor Ken Voyles.
The lawsuit claims Voyles, who is married, wanted to have an extra-marital relationship with Codish. Her attorney said Voyles wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“This guy was obsessed with her,” attorney Jonathan Marko said. “When she complained for an intermediary through a board member at the DAC about this, Mr. Voyles pulled all her work himself.”
Marko included love letters, poetry and pictures of packages Voyles allegedly sent to Codish, according to the lawsuit.
“He lured her into his office after having alcohol and told the bellman he wanted to do something bad to her,” Marko said. “She said no and said she wanted to see him at work.”
“The allegations with respect to the DAC are without legal merit,” the DAC’s Ted Gillary said to Local 4 in a statement. “We intent to vigorously defend this lawsuit. Many of the statements alleged in the complaint are inaccurate and false. However, we do not intent to argue this in a public forum."
Local 4 called Voyles and left a message with a phone number, but he never returned the call.