FSI Blog

Blogger Jasmyne Cannick reported at her site that she and other bloggers had been targeted for a lawsuit by Phillip Bleicher, owner of Flavaworks, which operates porn sites and publishes erotic magazines featuring African American and Latin men.

Cannick wrote that Bleicher was seeking $250,000 for libel. “Good luck,” Cannick wrote, saying, “I have a hard time getting $2.50 together much less $250,000,” and stating later on in her blog that, “I know what libel is and I know what libel isn’t and nothing that was written was libel.” rote Cannick, “We simply stated and facts, which I am happy to do again.”

Among the facts in question, which Cannick restated in her blog, were allegations that Flavaworks, which runs online sites Cocoboyz, Thugboy, and PapiCock, had been cited in a report by the Chicago Department of Health in connection with an investigation by the Department into sexual practices of the company’s young male performers. Cannick’s blog made reference to another blog site, run by Bernie Tarver, who Cannick said was also being sued by Flavaworks. Cannick wrote that Tarver had reported on a Chicago Free Press story in which the Chicago Department of Health had ordered Flavaworks to cease and desist on the basis that they “knowingly allowed the spread of HIV and other sexually-transmitted [sic] diseases” through unsafe sexual performances by their web site models.

Cannick wrote that according to Christopher Brown, assistant commissioner for HIV / AIDS / STD programs at the Chicago Department of Public Health, the city’s Health Department was informed by HIV service providers that clients of the HIV service “could be seen on the website engaging in unsafe sex” (quote attributed to Brown).

Wrote Cannick, “While the models are Black and Latino, the owner of the company, Phillip Bleicher, is White.” Cannick also wrote that the models worked in poor conditions, that many of them were young runaways, and that the month-long contracts the models signed specified a given number of sexual performances that were due to earn a stipend. The stipend, however, was generally not equal to charges that the company allegedly levied–for food and bed linens, for example–and that this sometimes led to the models being in debt to the company, at which point they would be offered new 30-day contracts. Cannick wrote that Bleicher let Chicago for Miami, where NBC 6 ran a story in May that alleged Bleicher was running a web-based adult entertainment concern from a location in a residential area.

Cannick’s report contained a quote from Miami Assistant City Attorney Victoria Mendez, who said, “It’s the city’s position that the activity that is happening at that location should not be happening.” Mendez continued, “It’s a single-family residence and there are children in the vicinity, and the city feels that this should be stopped immediately.” An attorney for Ravaworks, James Benjamin, was quoted in Cannick’s story as responding to this by saying, “I assure you that all of the allegations take place in a private area, behind a locked door, in a house that goes over out of cyberspace on the Internet.” Continued Benjamin, “No child near there or anywhere outside the house has any idea what happens inside, just like nobody knows what happens in your house, sir.”

Cannick reported that the city of Miami cited the company for various code violations, and that the question of whether or not the web-cast performances were a violation has not yet been determined. Cannick wrote that before she was named in the lawsuit, her site received multiple messages in support of Flavaworks, including postings that pointed out Cannick’s own work had appeared in one of the company’s magazines, “which I have never ever denied.” “At one time Flavaworks did contact me to publish my op-eds. So what?” wrote Cannick. “I don’t understand what that has to do with the Chicago Department of Public Health’s report and their other questionable activities. Money doesn’t equal silence.”

“I don’t have one issue with Flavaworks publishing my op-ed’s,” continued Cannick. “In a sea of photos of half naked and naked men, at least for the five or so months they published my articles, their readers got some knowledge to go with that hand job.” Wrote Cannick, “As far as I’m concerned, if the KKK had a national magazine and wanted to publish my articles they could as long as they paid me and didn’t edit it anyway [sic].” “If you like porn that’s your business,” added Cannick. “I’ve got no issues with that. But there is a reason why all of these allegations and investigations are being launched against Flavaworks… something just ain’t right and sooner or later the truth will come out.

“Don’t hate on me for reporting it.”

A special assistant to acting D.C. Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso was fired Friday after nude pictures of her former lover were circulated around the D.C. Public Schools headquarters, sources said.

The employee, D’Wanna Lee, had reportedly been in a relationship with a staffer from Akridge, which manages the building, located at 825 N. Capitol St. Lee did not respond to messages Tuesday. She had been paid a $92,700 annual salary under Reinoso and had previously worked for the Board of Education. Reinoso, who would not comment on Lee’s departure, said Lee had worked on “issue areas” including special education. Lee, whose permanent office working for Reinoso was located in the John A. Wilson Building, had also worked part-time at DCPS headquarters during the last couple of months as Mayor Adrian Fenty took over the school system, Fenty spokeswoman Mafara Hobson said.

Hobson said Lee’s “employment was terminated” but would not confirm that her departure was in relation to Friday’s incident. She said she had not seen any photos.

“I can only comment that [Lee's] last day was Friday,” Hobson said.

Akridge spokeswoman Mary Margaret Hiller would not identify the employee. He is still employed with the company, she said.The photos reportedly featured the man lounging naked on a bed. It is not clear exactly who got the photos, but they were reportedly taped in bathrooms and various offices Friday. Building security officers destroyed the photos that were found.

The firing could prove a distraction for Reinoso. It comes a week after D.C. Council failed to schedule Reinoso’s confirmation hearing. Chairman Vincent Gray said questions remained over the role he and his office would play in Fenty’s schools takeover. Reinoso also has failed to fully respond to lingering questions by some council members over who was responsible for plagiarizing another school system’s work and including it in a city education plan.