URGENT URGENT URGENT U.P. Breaking News Bulletin – 2-15-18 4 p.m. ET – LERLIE RESIGNS
Community Action Alger Marquette Agency is trying to return to a new normal after months of a sexual harassment accusations that have led to the resignations of the agency director and board chairman
In midst of the crisis, an acting director has been named tonight.
The acting CAAM director is Lori Stephens-Brown
Community Action Alger Marquette Agency Director Amy Hodgins Lerlie resigned this afternoon, Thurs., Feb.15, 2018, sources tell U.P. Breaking News.
She has been placed on leave in the midst of a scandal.
The scandal also forced the CAAM Board President to resign.
Scroll down to read background.
——-
Out of control: The Director and the Board of Directors Chairman of the Community Action Alger Marquette in trouble – Also allegedly involves Marquette ‘socialite” who is the agency director’s mom
Scandal Upends Community Action Agency in Alger and Marquette counties – that provides services for poor and elderly
By Greg Peterson
U.P. Breaking News
Owner, News Director
906-273-2433
(Marquette, MI) – The director of the Marquette/Alger community action agency has been placed on leave as the board of directors investigates multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and one alleged victim is the Mayor of Munising, multiple sources tell U.P. Breaking News.
Amy Hodgins Lerlie
The board of directors of the Community Action Alger Marquette put agency director Amy Hodgins Lerlie on two weeks leave after a presentation by lawyers of the three victims.
Its unclear if Lerlie is on paid or unpaid leave. The board apparently decided it needed two weeks to do it own investigation, sources say.
Bradley Cory
Meanwhile, under scrutiny board chair Bradley N. Cory abruptly resigned for allegedly allowing his personal contacts to interfere with his job as board chair.
Community Action Alger Marquette is an agency that provides life or death help to Upper Peninsula’s poor.
The agency also oversees many badly needed services for the elderly including Lost Creek in Marquette, that offers low-income housing for the elderly.
The agency also handles the new Grandview Marquette Apartments, the renovation project at the former Holy Cross Orphanage. Grandview officials have been accused of not providing enough apartments for the low-income – because much of the funding was based on claims it will going to help the growing problem of the Marquette area poor. Grandview Apartments is located at 600 Altamont Street in Marquette.
Rod DesJardins
One of the three allegations are sexual harassment complaints from Munising Mayor Rod DesJardins.
DesJardins is the agency’s Housing Services Director.
Lerlie reportedly arranged an agency trip that included DesJardins.
Two female employees also claim Lerlie made unwanted sexual advances.
After the allegations by DesJardins became known about the office, sources say Lerlie became defensive and angry.
Lerlie allegedly retaliated by “making ridiculous demands on him and saying demeaning untrue statements to others in the workplace.”
In fact – the CAAM office dysfunction and retaliation under Lerlie’s command was so great that sources claim she caused the Mayor DesJardins to have a massive heart attack:
The CAAM Board has known these kinds of allegations for “a long time” but did nothing until Friday afternoons meeting with lawyers. The CAAM board has allow the atmosphere to continue despite knowing what was happened, sources say.
The board allegedly allowed Lerlie “to continue working and overseeing all the employees she has traumatized.”
Lerie’s “mother is long time Marquette socialite Rita Hodgins (Lerlie) , whose close friend is CAAM Board Chair Brad Cory,” who recently resigned, our sources said.
Under Cory’s leadership the CAAM board “decided to allow Amy to continue working and have made every attempt to hide all of this.”
DesJardins suffered “a serious heart attack that required a quadruple bypass,” sources say.
DesJardins “returned to work and the work environment is extremely hostile.”
“Amy Lerlie also kissed 2 separate female employees on the mouth and neither woman saw it coming,” sources say.
The names of the women making sexual misconduct accusations have not been confirmed.
One accusation against Lerlie involves the firing of the head of Cross Creek.
Lerlie also oversees Lost Creek that has a separate case against her for hostile work environment.
http://communityactionam.org/contact
http://mihousingcouncil.rentlinx.com/200-Lost-Creek-Drive-Marquette-MI-49855
http://hrscommunities.com/product/grandview-marquette/
Upper Peninsula Breaking News by Greg Peterson 