Bikram Yoga founder Bikram Choudhury faces a sixth lawsuit brought by another woman who contends that he sexually assaulted her, according to a report by Law360.com.
The suit filed last week in California by Jill Lawler alleges that Choudhury sexually harassed her repeatedly and raped her from 2010 to 2014.
In 2010, when Lawle rwas 18, she took a yoga teacher training course at Choudhury's Yoga College of India LP school. The suit asserts that Choudhury's sexual advances began there when he asked her to give him intimate massages. Lawler says she convinced herself that her discomfort stemmed from cultural differences. The advances escalated, and several sexual assaults occurred, the suit contends. Lawler eventually became employed by the Yoga College of India LP, and the suit states that she feared losing her certification and being barred from teaching Bikram Yoga, therefore, losing her livelihood, if she defied Choudhury's advances. Lawler left the company in July 2014.
Choudhury faces nine claims, including sexual harassment, sex discrimination and violations of state civil rights, Law360.com reports.
The lawsuit was filed the same day that a judge ruled that Choudhury would have to face the majority of the claims brought against him by a woman who is suing him for similar charges.
Late last year, the website eBossWatch.com ranked Choudhury as the worst boss in America. The website enables people to anonymously rate their bosses. For the list, the site asked a panel of workplace experts to rank the bosses. The website noted:
The managers who made this year’s list of America’s Worst Bosses were named in workplace lawsuits or were accused of workplace harassment and/or sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and/or creating a hostile work environment.