An update to the Graspin’ Aspen Yoga teacher scandal! Steven Jon Roger was arrested in January on charges of sexual assault alleged by female students at O2 Aspen yoga studio. As you may recall, the accused was originally facing 1 felony count of sexual assault and 4 misdemeanor counts of sexual misconduct. Well, since his arrest, two more women have come forward to report offenses. Yesterday was his big day in court where he faced a grand total of two felony counts of sexual assault, and five misdemeanors, with the maximum sentence still 10+ years in the slammer.
Back in Jan we posed the question to the yogadork gallery…fair or foul? Was this dude just being a concerned “adjuster”? But we have to wonder about his case for innocence, with all these women stepping up to speak out about the gropey guru placing his hands on their lower backs and “[slipping his] hand down the back of the woman’s pants without her consent.” Whata creep! Well, he’s out now on $7,500 bond and due back in court April 6. Not teaching yoga we guess.
Now, this is clearly a touchy subject (ugh) for the teacher-student relationship. Seriously though, there’s a level of trust involved, especially when it comes to the supposed sanctuary of a yoga class. If a teacher is “adjusting” you and grabbing your ass speak up!
And then what about partner and acro yoga? Where’s the line on the good touch/bad touch? And we’re talking fellow students, not just the teacher.We don’t remember signing the waiver for that.
Earlier… Graspin’ Aspen Yoga Teacher Faces 10 Years if Convicted of Sexual Assault
Please Donate & Support a Dork!
{ 1 trackback }
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Just another example of the inevitable outcome of the phony yoga movement. The list just keeps on growing from Rama, Muktananda, Desai, Yee, Saidman, etc.
Real Yoga is, of course, Hinduism (and related religions); anything else is 100% phony and, inevitably, leads to these scandals.
What a sham(e).
Did I miss your further update to this case being dismissed? Along with Aspen Times link reporting such? At least their revelling in the salacious and prurient is somewhat understandable from the point of view of non-practitioners. But as for self-styled yoga dorks, I find this unbelievable as would anyone who knew or took a class from Steve Rogers. If somebody considers an adjustment ‘unacceptable’ they should have the courage to simply say so, get up and walk away. The idea of turning to the legal system and custodial sentences is unconscionable. Fortunately, the judge saw it right away. No case to answer. Any hope of large awards from the studio’s (rich) owner were dashed. Along with Steve’s career in western Colorado. Meanwhile you should take this stuff down (which I found in an unrelated Aspen yoga search) after the final outcome. There is nothing good in this for the whole yoga community.