Bikram Choudhury, the millionaire founder of the largely popular yoga franchise, has been sued by one of his former students, accusing him of sexual harassment, discrimination and defamation, the New York Times reported. Sarah Baughn, who is now 28, is a Bikram student, teacher and international competitor living in San Francisco. The lawsuit claims he began making sexual advances toward her during a 2005 teacher training course in Los Angeles, and that it continued for years.
At 20, Baughn said she was uncomfortable how other female students would "brush his hair, wash his feet and give him massages, but she chalked it up to cultural differences. Then she says, he offered her his diamond Rolex watch, which she did not accept, and told her he had known her in a past life," news reports said.
Choudhury began his journey as a yoga guru phenomenon in the U.S. in the basement of a bank building in Beverly Hills, after being a yoga champion in Calcutta. At that time, his lessons were free. He soon would charge $25 per class, and continues to oversee hundreds of studios on six continents.
He also cultivated a reputation as "Yoga's Bad Boy," by Yoga Journal, spawning "hot yoga" sessions in sweltering hotels throughout the U.S.
In the lawsuit, Baughn claims she rebuffed his repeated advances, and accused him of pressing his body against hers while adjusting his posture, whispering sexually charged comments into her ear, and ordering her to kiss him in front of other trainees. She also claims he assaulted her in a Mexican hotel room during a training competition.
Choudhury has yet to issue a statement regarding the charges, as his wife is also being sued for her role in running the business and teacher training program.
"In the interim," said USA Yoga spokeswoman, Rachel Golden, "we believe it is vitally important to continue to support the millions of devoted yoga practitioners around the world in reaping the benefits of their practice."
Part of the suit said that senior teachers did little to stop Choudhury's behavior, and was told she need to "separate the man from the teacher."
Baughn had continued to study, practice and teach the series despite her accusations he often attempted to sabotage her career and competition results when she repeatedly refused his advances.
This is not the first time Choudhury has been caught in a lawsuit. Pandhora Williams also filed a lawsuit against the millionaire after he made some unsavory comments about women during a retreat back in 2010.
In the past, he also has upset yoga traditionalists by aggressively protecting the Bikram Yoga brand through lawsuits, trademarks and copyright issues. Critics have denounced his moves as selfish. His brand of "hot yoga" is also questioned as not a legitimate form of practice.
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