LOS ANGELES, Mar 21, 2017 — The investigative news program “Vanity Fair Confidential” on Investigation Discovery is the most recent media forum to share more of the details surrounding sexual assault claims made against famed “hot yoga” guru Bikram Choudhury. In a special hour-long episode covering the cases, Carney Shegerian of Los Angeles-based Shegerian & Associates helped to describe how Choudhury allegedly violated several women who had trusted him as their yoga guru and mentor.

Six women (two of whom were also interviewed by Vanity Fair Confidential) filed lawsuits claiming that Choudhury sexually assaulted and/or raped them. The women are represented by attorneys Mary Shea of Shea Law Offices in Oakland, California and Shegerian.

In the interviews, Shegerian and the women explained how difficult it has been to come forward when the Bikram yoga community had been the victims’ culture and livelihood.

As egregious as Choudhury’s alleged behavior has been, however, Shegerian said that it is part of a societal issue that reaches well beyond the yoga realm.

“These cases are actually representative of a problem that has plagued society for too long,” said Shegerian. “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, our clients, are taking a courageous 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.”

One of the women interviewed for the program, Larissa Anderson, is scheduled to begin her trial on May 1 [st] .

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