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Unhappy Ending for Wisconsin Nudist Camp

TOMAH, Wis. (CN) - A rural Wisconsin hotel threw a wet towel on a nudist camp's plans for "sexual freedom" weekends, the group's organizer claims in court.

The Black River Falls man behind the lawsuit, Marvin Thomann, owns and runs Camp NCN, short for no clothing necessary.

He claims that he entered into a contract this past April with the Best Western Inn Tomah for a series of "hotel takeovers" that would involve fully renting out the hotel on 12 different weekends through 2018.

"Hot and Sexy, Sensual and Sexual, Nude or Clothed, come and enjoy the wonderful party we have planned for you," the camp boasts on an event listing for one scheduled takeover.

Thomann said the hotel would have all windows and doors draped off for the weekends, with nudity optional on all grounds, except in the clothing-mandatory lobby.

"The contract included the clauses: the Best Western Tomah Hotel is aware that this group is adult in nature," the complaint states. "The group agrees, that while in public views, they will present themselves as in public view."

Thomann says the first takeover scheduled to begin on Nov. 13, 2015, until Tomah police chief Mark Nicholson got wind of the event.

Nicholson is not a party to Thomann's Nov. 24 complaint against the Best Western Inn Tomah and that franchise's owner, Great Lakes Management Group.

Thomann says chief Nicholson sent a letter to a restaurant attached the hotel on Oct. 29, threatening to suspend its liquor licenses over the planned nudist takeover, "even thou[gh] the [restaurant and bar] are entirely distinct and separate businesses from the Best Western Tomah."

Nicholson also erroneously insinuated that the event conflicted with Tomah's adult entertainment statute, according to the complaint.

The chief held firm in a phone interview about the lawsuit, saying that the restaurant's liquor license extends to areas of the hotel - such as the pool - where nudity would be permitted, so the bar cannot allow prohibited activity on licensed premises.

Thomann says he was prepared to require attendees to wear clothes to the event to avoid legal conflict with the city, but that the hotel instead canceled their contract on Nov. 6.

In a phone interview, Thomann said Great Lakes Management fired the general manager of the hotel over the incident, despite 18 years of service.

NCN wound up canceling the event because it could not find an alternate venue in time, according to its website. Thomann says the cancellation cost him $16,500.

If he is unable to find venues for the remaining 11 weekends, the next of which is scheduled for New Year's Day, Thomann says the broken contract will cost him a total of $180,000.

Camp NCN's website and newsletter says the festivities set for Nov. 13-14 will now take place at the January 1-2, 2016, event in Madison. Thomann declined over the phone to name the hotel hosting his event.

Since the November cancellation, "people are booking real slow" for the next event, Thomann said. He does not anticipate selling out the party, a first in over four years of business at the Madison venue.

Whether the remaining takeovers occur at all is uncertain, Thomann said.

Camp NCN's clientele is "a mixture of Nudist, Voyeurs, Exhibitionist, and Swingers in one campground, enjoying whatever varied fantasies," according to its website. It hosts biker-themed events, live music and specialty events based on gender, sexual preference and kinks throughout the year.

Specifically, Thomann said the ages range from 23 to 70, ant that lawyers and doctors are among the mostly upper-middle-class professionals participating.

As of March 2015, Thomann listed the "business, the land & all the equipment" as for sale on its website for $2.6 million.

Thomann is listed as pro se in the official case record, but says Middleton lawyer Michael Collins will likely represent him if the case goes to trial.

The guest services manager at the Best Western said she had no information about the lawsuit and was the only person available, but agreed to take a message asking for comment.

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