England and had practiced law in on the other hand, maintained Europe and before moving that plaintiff was fired when it to Los Angeles to join was revealed she was not licensed Choudhury’s team. During her to practice law in California. two-year employment as Plaintiff asserted everyone knew Choudhury’s legal advisor, she was studying to take the bar plaintiff quickly realized her job and her job duties did not require would involve handling her to be licensed in the state. allegations against Choudhury for the sexual harassment and assault Plaintiff called Petra Stark, a of his students and teacher former lawyer in President trainees. Barack Obama’s administration, who was also fired by After initiating an investigation of Choudhury, to testify female sexual harassment claims, teacher trainees massaged the 69- On January 26, 2016, the jury plaintiff claimed to have year-old guru and combed his returned a unanimous verdict in experienced the same demeaning hair, adding that meetings with federal court against founder of and abusive behavior from him were held in his bedroom , Bikram Choudhury. Plaintiff claimed and on his bed. Ms. Stark further Choudhury, awarding more than Choudery threatened to have her testified to witnessing Mr. $6.4 million in punitive damages killed or deported for making Choudhury force a 23 year old for the sexual harassment, complaints about his sexually trainee to give him a massage and discrimination, and wrongful harassing behavior. After two later oral sex during a late- termination of former legal years of employment, plaintiff evening limousine ride. advisor, Minakashi Jafa-Bodden. was ultimately terminated from According to Ms. Stark, she was Bikram Yoga, popularly described her $125,000 a year job in 2013, fired by Choudhury after telling as “,” is a particular style which meant losing her work visa his wife and two other employees of yoga where participants in the . In her suit about the limo incident. Another perform twenty-six poses and against Choudhury, plaintiff witness testified at trial that breathing exercises in a room claimed she was terminated for following the sexual assault heated above 100 degrees. This investigating a rape accusation allegations, Choudhury declared is the first of a series of lawsuits made against Choudhury and to a classroom of hundreds of against the famous yoga guru, in refusing to participate in a cover- yoga teachers, “Look at how which numerous women have up, trying to prevent staff many people are here; I should accused the founder of sexual members from forcing women to rape more women, it’s good for harassment and rape. meet with Choudhury after business.” making complaints of sexual The case involved a lawsuit by Choudhury’s wife of 30 years former in-house legal advisor, harassment or assault, and refusing to accuse another yoga testified she had never known who alleged Choudhury sexually Choudhury to be sexually harassed and wrongfully study of sexual misconduct. She also claimed Choudhury forced inappropriate with students or terminated her from the yoga staff but knew he used empire. Choudhury hired her to have meetings at night in his hotel room while female demeaning language during plaintiff Jafa-Bodden in March training as part of his 2011 as an in-house legal advisor staffers massaged him and urged her to sit on his bed with him, “performance.” She admitted it for his yoga studios. Plaintiff bothered her when her husband received her law degree in which she denied. Choudhury,

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called students prostitutes and her complaints to higher level California, County of Los “bitches” during his teacher management about the sexual Angeles. trainings but that it was all part of discrimination contributed to her his act and sense of humor. termination. Her compensatory ABOUT THE AUTHORS However, a family friend testified damages included $237,000 in Megan Isserman is a graduate of Choudhury’s wife complained to past lost wages, $187,500 for Villanova School of Law. Ms. him about her husband’s sexual future lost earnings, $50,000 for Isserman’s focus is on general harassment and dalliances with mental suffering and emotional liability, employment, and his female students and trainees. distress, and $450,000 in personal injury litigation. Contact On cross-examination, that noneconomic damages, including Megan at 858.459.4400 or witness also admitted to having future suffering and emotional [email protected]. an affair with Mrs. Choudhury. distress. During the nearly two week trial, The following day, the jury hit Choudhury’s attorney Choudhury and his yoga college continuously denied all with more than $6.4 million in accusations against Choudhury, punitive damages, bringing the claiming the lawsuit was full of total award to almost $7.4 salacious, overinflated claims that million. The jury granted the did not show plaintiff had been award despite claims by sexually harassed or fired in Choudhury’s attorney the yoga retaliation. He admitted business is nearly bankrupt as a Choudhury occasionally uses bad result of the legal cases against his words in the work place and has client. In response, plaintiff’s an outrageous personality, but the counsel asked the jury what sexual harassment claims against happened to the “deep pockets” plaintiff were fabricated. Choudhury was claiming a few Choudhury’s attorney stated, “In day prior. Plaintiff’s counsel also the end, I really believe she wants pointed out Choudhury refused you to pay her these millions and to provide financial documents millions of dollars so she never showing the profitability of the has to work again. He has deep business. Jurors were shown pockets, he’s a celebrity.” pictures of Choudhury’s real estate properties and “about 30 Despite Choudhury’s celebrity to 40” luxury cars, including Rolls status, a 12-person jury found in Royces, Bentleys, and Ferraris. favor of plaintiff on her claims of sexual harassment, Jafa-Bodden’s suit is just one of discrimination, and retaliation, six lawsuits filed by women in awarding $924,000 in California against Choudhury for compensatory damages. After sexual harassment and rape. less than two days of deliberation, Among these lawsuits, one the California federal jury former student is alleging concluded plaintiff experienced Choudhury raped her at a training “severe and pervasive” seminar. harassment while working for Choudhury, creating a hostile The case is Minakashi Jafa-Bodden work environment that her v. Bikram Choudhury et al., case employers know about and failed number BC512041, in the to correct. They also found that Superior Court of the State of TMNews www.tysonmendes.com