Detroit, MI
Woman files sexual harassment lawsuit against Metro Detroit chiropractor
(CBS DETROIT) – A Metro Detroit chiropractor and his place of employment are at the center of a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Attorney Azzam Elder said he filed a lawsuit Friday against John Pispidikis and Spinal Recovery Services on behalf of his client, a former patient.
“After talking to the client, we had no choice but to bring this public and let people know that he is a predator,” Elder said.
Elder said Pispidikis, a chiropractic neurologist and nurse practitioner, treated his client for severe neck and back injuries she sustained in a car accident.
According to the lawsuit, Pispidikis allegedly became more aggressive and touched his client inappropriately.
“What you saw on video was her last visit, which was recently Feb. 6,” Elder said.
Elder said his client confided in a friend about the way Pispidikis was touching her during her visits. That friend instructed her to obtain a hidden camera and record it.
Elder said the video shows Pispidikis standing his client up against the door to the room with no shirt on. In the video, he said that Pispidikis grabbed his client between the legs repeatedly.
“He was not providing medical services; he was doing what he wanted for sexual gratification, and that’s just unacceptable, and the world needs to know who he is, and he needs to be held accountable. This person is a sexual predator, and he has no business practicing medicine,” Elder said.
Elder said his client was called repeatedly after she stopped showing up for her appointments.
“Even after she stopped seeing him, he had his office call her multiple times, and they would tell her, ‘Dr. Pispidikis needs to follow up with you. He needs to see you,’” Elder said.
Because of the alleged actions of this medical professional, Elder fears there may be more victims out there who are too afraid to speak up.
“He is a danger. If they know anyone else who is a witness or is a potential victim, they need to contact the police department or contact our offices. We’ve got to make sure that we put him out of business or at least hold him accountable because he should not be practicing medicine,” Elder said.
Warren police confirmed there is an investigation into Spinal Recovery Services, and those findings will be handed over to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Elder also said he served the lawsuit to Spinal Recovery Services around noon Friday in person.
CBS Detroit visited Spinal Recovery Services on Friday, but they were closed. CBS Detroit also reached out to Pispidikis for comment but our message was not returned.
What is Newlab?
Originally founded in Brooklyn, Newlab provides tech startups with a place to develop their products and expand their manufacturing capabilities. Located in the Albert Khan-designed former Detroit Public Schools Book Depository building in Corktown, Newlab Detroit is the venture platform’s second development center. The 270,000-squarefoot facility opened in 2023 and is situated within the 30-acre Michigan Central Innovation District. Newlab Detroit attracts global and local startups like metro Detroit’s Sharrow Marine, which makes advanced propellers.
“Detroit is still the best place in the world to make anything,” says Greg Sharrow, founder and CEO of Sharrow Marine. “It’s incredible that Michigan Central and Newlab exist here and that inventors are able to take advantage of those resources.”
How can a business become a member at Newlab Detroit?
More than 100 companies apply for Newlab Detroit residency every year, making membership an exclusive commodity. While membership is not restricted to hard-tech startups, the space is primarily designed to accommodate them. If an application is accepted, the monthly membership cost is $250.
What does Newlab Detroit provide members?
In addition to a fl oating desk, one of the biggest advantages Newlab o ers is access to the workshop. There, members can learn how to use state-ofthe- art technology that would otherwise be too costly for a startup to purchase. Other perks include access to Newlab’s manufacturing network and community of investors.
How many startups operate out of Newlab Detroit?
Currently, a blend of more than 100 local, national, and global companies operate out of Newlab Detroit. International startups currently make up roughly 15% of the community.
What kinds of products come out of Newlab Detroit?
The products developed at Newlab are as diverse as the people who create them. Technologies range from body temperature-reactive heating and cooling tiles to underwater robots designed to prevent water main breaks.
This story originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition
Emerging as the PWHL’s Defender of the Year made Tuesday night a special one for Megan Keller. Doing so in her hometown made it doubly so.Keller, a Farmington Hills native, earned recognition as the PWHL’s top blueliner this season with the Boston Fleet during a ceremony at One Campus Martius. She recorded 22 points in 30 games in addition to her stout defense.
“It’s an incredible honor,” Keller said. “Obviously, though, it’s a reflection of the team. I’ve got such great teammates. My D partner, also up for the award, Haley Winn.
“And goaltending Aerin Frankel, MVP, one of the best goalies in the world — makes my job super easy, and it was just so fun to come to the rink every day. We had such a special group, so to be a part of that, I’m just really thankful.”Winn earned Rookie of the Year, and Boston Fleet coach Kris Sparre earned Coach of the Year in his first campaign at the helm. He’s on to PWHL Hamilton next year, one of four expansion teams alongside Detroit. He had high praise for Keller, particularly for her athleticism and skill set. “I’ve said this before, and I’m sure this will ruffle some feathers from players that I’ve coached in the past, but she’s hands down my favorite professional athlete that I’ve coached in my 11 years,” Sparre said. “She deserves all the accolades that she gets.”
Keller’s name may ring a bell for her Olympic heroics, particularly February’s nifty move she used to score the golden goal for Team USA over Canada in the Milano-Cortina games. That’s the 30-year-old’s second Olympic gold medal of her career.Keller has also been a major proponent of expanding women’s hockey in Michigan, through both the creation of a varsity team at the University of Michigan and through a PWHL team. Fans who chanted “we want a team” at Little Caesars Arena will get their wish this year. Keller is ecstatic.“I’m so happy for the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan,” Keller said. “I think they’ve deserved a team for a long time.“I’ve gotten the opportunity to come back and play in the takeover tour games here at LCA, and the crowd that showed up, all the girls that were in the stands — I was a youth hockey player just like them growing up in all these rinks across Michigan.
“And for them to have a women’s professional team and role models to look up to every single night is going to be huge for them. I thought I was going to play on the Red Wings growing up, and to see their role models each and every day and know that they have a dream that can turn it into reality — it’s super special, and I’m so excited for what’s to come for them.”cearegood@detroitnews.com
@ConnorEaregood
J.T. Compher and Jesse Compher are the first NHL/PWHL siblings to play in the same city.
J.T. Compher and Jesse Compher are the first NHL/PWHL siblings to play in the same city.
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