LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NBC’s “Today Show” is the latest media forum to share some of the details surrounding sexual assault claims made against Bikram Choudhury. Six women have now come forward, at the time of this release, claiming that the “hot yoga” guru sexually assaulted and/or raped them.
All six women are represented by attorneys Mary Shea of Shea Law Offices in Oakland, California, and Carney Shegerian of Los Angeles-based Shegerian & Associates, Inc.
The most recent of the six cases, filed last month in Los Angeles Superior Court, said Choudhury had raped a woman who had paid $10,000 from her college fund for a nine-week class so she could teach the “Bikram yoga” technique to others.
“We are absolutely honored to be given the opportunity to help these courageous women seek justice,” said Shea, who has spent more than 20 years standing up to sexual abusers and protecting those in need of representation. “Because of the unique nature of the Bikram yoga community and the level of trust and placed in the hands of the defendant, the plaintiffs’ heartbreaking stories of sexual assault, rape and abuse are further exacerbated by a deep spiritual violation as well.”
“These cases are actually representative of a problem that has plagued society for far too long,” said Shegerian, who specializes in employee rights. “Men in positions of power making unwanted and illegal sexual advances toward women who are their employees or students is a problem of epidemic proportions that simply must stop. These women are taking a very brave step toward shedding light on one such person of influence that has been sexually harassing, abusing and assaulting women for a very long time. It’s our job to help these women and put a stop to this.”
“Rape and sexual assault have no respect of gender, age, race or affiliation,” said sexual abuse expert and columnist Mark Vincent Healy. “Sadly, these abuses leave in their wake lifelong trauma, devastating mental health problems and higher rates of suicide than found in the general population — 14 times higher, in fact. It is a scourge on humanity and global in dimensions. It is an assault on the human family that knows little justice where over 98% of cases go unprosecuted. As a society we have to do more for victims of such intimate violations of the person. All survivors deserve to be treated with dignity, justice and compassion. Collectively we can make a difference.”
Shea added that a trial date for the first plaintiff, Sarah Baughn, is set for August.
About Shea Law Offices: Since 1994, Shea Law Offices, headquartered in Oakland, California, has offered compassionate, tenacious representation to victims of sexual abuse and harassment throughout the Bay Area, the state of California, and the entire nation. Firm founder Mary Shea has spent over 20 years standing up to abusers and protecting those in need of representation. Recognized for conducting her law practice with integrity, dignity and compassion, Shea strives to provide every client the same personal attention and care, focusing on legal needs while helping the client recover physically or emotionally from the abuse that occurred. For more information, visit www.shealaw.com
About Shegerian & Associates: Located Santa Monica, Shegerian & Associates is a law firm specializing in protecting the rights of employees who have been wronged by their employers. Richly experienced in labor and employment law and possessing an unparalleled success record as litigators (Carney Shegerian, Trial Lawyer of the Year Award winner for 2013, has won over 68 jury trials in his career, including 28 seven-figure verdicts), Shegerian & Associates is passionately dedicated to serving the needs of its clients. For more information about the firm, visit www.ShegerianLaw.com
About Mark Vincent Healy: Mark was abused while he was a student at St. Mary’s College in Dublin, Ireland, a school run by the Congregation of Spiritans (formerly the Holy Ghost Fathers) who have a presence in over 64 countries. In a national audit in 2012 which Mark was instrumental in calling for, 48 priests were found to have committed offences against 143 children in Ireland, Sierra Leone, Kenya and the USA. He has been campaigning for years for the Catholic Church to actively seek out more victims of abuse internationally through rescue services and safe space provisioning. Last year he met with Pope Francis pressing for support for research into clergy CSA and the high rates of suicide found amongst survivors in order to establish an evidenced-based approach to suicide prevention for survivors. He can be contacted via markvhealy@gmail.com, @MarkVHealy. His columns are available via: http://www.thejournal.ie/author/mark-vincent-healy/