LOS ANGELES, CA (January 26, 2016)- A Los Angeles Superior
Court jury this afternoon awarded a
former-employee-turned-whistleblower $6,471,878 in punitive
damages in a retaliation and wrongful termination lawsuit
against famed yoga instructor Bikram Choudhury. The punitive
award comes one day after the same jury awarded the plaintiff
$924,500 in compensatory damages.
Outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles,
jurors hugged the plaintiff and her attorneys thanking her for
standing up for victims of sexual harassment saying she felt
'like family.' Lead plaintiff attorney Mark Quigley, of the
Santa Monica law firm Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP argued
his client was fired from her six-figure job for refusing to
cover up an investigation into a student's allegation that
Choudhury raped her. "It's about time somebody stood up to this
defendant and it's too bad it took a jury," Quigley said.
"This is a good day for women," said plaintiff Minakshi 'Miki'
Jafa-Bodden. "I'm so thankful for the jury and my lawyers for
standing up for what's right."
Jafa-Bodden worked as Head of Legal and International Affairs
at Choudhury Los Angeles School from Spring 2011 to March 13,
2013 when she was "abruptly and unlawfully terminated."
69-year-old Choudhury has amassed a fortune as the founder of
Bikram Yoga, a form of hot yoga performed in a series of 26
hatha yoga postures performed in an environment heated to 104
°F.
"Jafa-Bodden faced retaliation and intimidation when she
refused to stay silent about witnessing illegal behavior," said
Quigley.
During the two years that Jafa-Bodden worked closely with
Choudhury, she testified that she was both the victim of and
witness to his "severe, ongoing, pervasive and offensive
conduct" towards women. Five women have sued Choudhury for
sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Two lawsuits accuse Choudhury of rape. One of the plaintiffs
alleged sexual battery, false imprisonment, discrimination,
harassment and other counts in addition to the rape allegation.
Jane Doe's lawsuit describes a cult-like atmosphere where
members of Bikram's inner circle help him find young women to
assault.
The plaintiff's trial team included Mark Quigley and Aaron
Osten of Greene Broillet & Wheeler LLP and Carla Minnard of
the Minnard Law Firm.
