The co-founder of Audiotree the company that owns Lakeview music venue and bar, Schubas Tavern, and neighboring restaurant, Tied House has been removed from his post following news of a civil. She searched the house and claims she found two additional cameras, one in a bathroom disguised as an iPhone dock charger and another in a bedroom she was using. Eisenberg shared a statement from one of the two women with Newsweek on Thursday. The women are also afraid the footage the Johnstons taped has or will be posted on the internet, through intentional action or a security breach. Michael Johnston. Block Club Chicago is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering . Chicago attorney Gail Eisenberg represents the women in their civil lawsuit. The other woman, a former housekeeper is seen on footage cleaning the home on nine occasions in November 2019 and January 20th and was fully clothed in all the videos, according to court records. [12][13] Time Out Chicago noted that due to Audiotree's extensive prior experience with producing streaming media, the label was "uniquely equipped" to help bands keep performing online during the pandemic. [1] [3] Michael Johnston was already working as an audio engineer in the Chicago area, and founded the company to help promote independent artists and bands. The lawsuit against him and his wife is seeking more than $75,000 in damages. Co-founder and COO Adam Thurston is now acting president and CEO of the companies. Michael Johnston, the co-founder of Chicago-based record label Audiotree and an owner of Chicago music venues Lincoln Hall and Schubas Tavern, has been accused of setting up hidden cameras in his home to capture nude images of a family nanny and her friend. He and his wife, Kelly, are also being sued by the two victims, a. I wish this never happened in the first place. He also owns Chicago venues Lincoln Hall and Schubas and the restaurant Tied House. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Audiotree. Michael Johnston, the co-founder of Chicago-based record label Audiotree and the owner of Chicago music venues Lincoln Hall and Schubas Tavern, has been accused of using hidden cameras throughout his home to capture nude photos of the family's nanny and her friend. The nanny found the hidden cameras in February 2020 after she noticed one of them in a picture frame pointed at a bathtub. Footage from the spy cameras confiscated by Chicago police showed Johnston setting up the camera by standing in the field of vision and reviewing footage on his cellphone. ET: This article was updated to add a statement from one of the two women, via their attorney Gail Eisenberg. One of the cameras was hidden in a picture frame aimed at a bathtub the two were encouraged to use, according to the lawsuit. In a statement, Audiotree announced that Johnston has been removed from his position, from which he oversaw the record label, along with several local music venues, including Lincoln Hall and. A lawyer for Johnston did not immediately returnRolling Stones request for comment. I hope that by speaking out about this I can empower other survivors to do the same. The cameras mentioned were placed in areas the children didnt go, the suit says. The lawsuit alleges that Michael Johnston, 38, and his wife Kelly Johnston recorded the nanny and her friend while they were undressing or bathing. Las dos mujeres presentaron una demanda alegando que Johnston y su esposa haban instalado varias cmaras en su casa de Chicago disfrazadas de artculos domsticos comunes, que solo descubrieron . "My intention is to provide Schubas and Lincoln Hall with more resources," Johnston told former Chicago Tribune columnist Greg Kot when he bought the venues in 2015. Since 2011, Audiotree's online following has grown to include more than 350,000 . CHICAGO Michael Johnston, co-founder of record label Audiotree and the son of Kalamazoo billionaires William Johnston and Ronda Stryker, has been arrested and charged for allegedly. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Johnston faces two felony charges of unauthorized videotaping. . According to court. Michael Johnston, 38, grew up in Portage before moving to Chicago . On the days the women were scheduled to house sit, video footage shows Michael Johnston standing in the bathtub and positioning the camera to film the bathtub while reviewing the footage on his cellphone, the suit says. Michael Johnston is on the board of his mothers charity, the Stryker Johnston Foundation. ", A lawyer for Johnston said his client "takes these allegations seriously and will continue to work through the appropriate legal process.". Your IP: Messages sent to Audiotree seeking further comment were also not returned. My intention is to provide Schubas and Lincoln Hall with more resources, Johnston told former Chicago Tribune columnist Greg Kot when he bought the venues in 2015. We respectfully ask for patience as we navigate this challenging time. Ryan MeyerMarch 24, 2021. Johnston and Adam Thurston cofounded Audiotree in 2011. Johnston was arrested in Lake View, Chicago, on November 9 and charged with a felony count of unauthorized video recording. Our official statement regarding Michael Johnston is below pic.twitter.com/yN1gG86SZL, Audiotree (@audiotreemusic) November 16, 2021. On Monday (Nov. 15), Audiotree the parent company that operates the record label, its livestream series Audiotree Presents and the two music venues publicly cut ties with Johnston in a statement. A Chicago music label boss has been accused of setting up hidden cameras in his homeincluding the bathroomto film his nanny and her friend. On Nov. 10, Johnston appeared in bond court on a felony charge of making an unauthorized recording in a bathroom. One of the cameras was hidden in a picture frame aimed at a bathtub the two were encouraged to use, according to the lawsuit. michael johnston stryker. It read: "In light of the allegations against co-founder Michael Johnston, he has been removed as President and CEO of Audiotree, Audiotree Presents, Lincoln Hall, Schubas and Tied House. In a statement posted on social media Monday evening, Audiotree said it has cut ties with Johnston. Bands that have appeared on the site include War on Women, Thin Lips, Teenaged Halloween, Drug Church, Shonen Knife, Pup, Lemuria, and many others. Michael Johnston has been removed as president and CEO of Audiotree, Audiotree Presents, Lincoln Hall, Schubas and Tied House following allegations from two women of taking nude photos using hidden. Days earlier, on Nov. 9, Johnston was arrested in Lake View and released from custody the next morning, police records show. The new allegations come from a former housekeeper and a woman who house sat for Johnston. CHICAGO, Mich. Chicago-based CEO Michael Johnston is facing a lawsuit claiming he set up hidden cameras to record a nude video of his nanny, according to a FOX affiliate in Illinois.. Two women filed civil suit against Chicago label and venue owner, Audiotree Cofounder Accused of Using Hidden Cameras to Take Nude Images, Watch Phoebe Bridgers, Cardi B Join SZA for Madison Square Garden Performance, Basement Jaxx, Underworld, Charlotte De Witte Lead Movement Festival Lineup, Michelle Yeoh Makes History With Everything Everywhere All at Once SAG Awards Win, SST Records Producer Glen Spot Lockett Dead at 72, Glastonbury Co-Organizer Promises Female Headliners in 2024 After All-Male Top Billing This Year, There Were Sidemen. Franchise Influencers: Corey Elias, Founder & Franchise Broker, Franchise Captain. In January 2020, the Johnstons asked Jane to housesit for them while they were out of town, requesting that she stay overnight, the suit says. Michael Johnston, the former CEO of Audiotree. Improving the attack has been a focus for the Fire, who compiled 12 shutouts last year but missed the playoffs. Johnston can be seen standing in the bathtub and reviewing the video on a cellphone to make sure it was positioned properly, according to the lawsuit. They also invited Julie, a friend of Janes who nannied for the Johnstons close friends, to stay to keep Jane company. Johnston co-founded Audiotree and bought Schubas and Lincoln Hall with his father in 2015. A former Chicago music executive faces more criminal charges of secretly recording women who worked for him. Days earlier, on Nov. 9, Johnston was arrested in Lake View and released from custody the next morning, police records show. In November, Michael Johnston was forced out of his job as chief executive of Audiotree, the parent company of Schubas, the 34-year-old bar and music venue, and neighboring restaurant Tied. "This was their first job out of college and they right away learned that the world is not always there to protect them. Halverson hasn't been charged. Indiana State recruit Jailah Pelly put OFallon ahead to stay at 58-56 with a basket with 2:26 left in the second overtime. Michael Johnstons mother, Ronda Stryker, inherited the medical equipment company Stryker Corp. from her parents and is worth $7.2 billion, according to Forbes. After discovering the cameras, the two women have experienced severe, emotional trauma, the suit says. Johnston and Halverson reportedly no longer live in the house where the alleged spying occurred. 104.152.108.142 The accusers' attorney, Gail Eisenberg, claimed there is video of Johnston setting up the cameras, as they were "motion sensor cameras, so any person who would have entered those rooms would have turned [it] on," she said. The new allegations are based on the images of two other women found on the camera's. Photos: Chicago Fire season opener at Soldier Field, Chicago Blackhawks lose their 4th straight, falling to the Nashville Predators 3-1, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. We want to hear it. The women named as Jane Doe and Julie Doe in the court filing are friends and recent graduates from DePaul University. They scour for hidden cameras everywhere, fearing they are being secretly recorded even in restrooms and other locations where they would normally expect privacy, according to the suit. Video shows Michael Johnston moving a camera to record a jacuzzi bathtub in the master bedroom, the lawsuit states. Founded in 2013 by Kalamazoo natives Michael Johnston and Adam Thurston, the Chicago-based, . Michael Johnston, 38, who co-founded the music service Audiotree, is facing a felony charge of unauthorized taping. Following news of the allegations and civil suit, the company released a statement announcing that Johnston has been removed as President & CEO of Audiotree, Audiotree Presents, Lincoln Hall, Schubas, and Tied House. The company added that he is no longer a part of the Audiotree team and that cofounder Thurston would assume the CEO role. [1][3] Michael Johnston was already working as an audio engineer in the Chicago area, and founded the company to help promote independent artists and bands. According to court records, the woman then found two more hidden cameras in a bathroom and the bedroom she was using. Published Nov 16, 2021. 2 . Per the womens lawyer Gail Eisenberg, Jane worked for the couple beginning in December 2019 as a home manager, child caretaker, and personal assistant for the couple. [1] It also promotes artists and organizes live events, and invites artists from around the world to enter a professional studio setting, to record, perform, and release a live EP free of cost.