Reader advisory: Some accounts of sexual abuse in this story contain explicit details and strong language that some may find upsetting or objectionable.
A
nn West was performing an advanced backbend at a yoga workshop when her teacher came over and stroked her breasts and nipples, she said. He did it, she said, in a way “that could only be described as a caress.”
Her classmates were rolling back and forth -- no one could have seen the alleged groping by the teacher, West said. “I was amazed, shocked," she added. "I came out of the pose. He quickly got up and walked away and then didn't bother me for the rest of the class."
West shared her story in response to a KQED callout for #MeToo accounts in the Bay Area yoga world. An ensuing investigation revealed a range of allegations by seven women against five teachers: from inappropriate massage to a violating touch in class, from drugging to unlawful sex with a minor. KQED found that the yoga community is struggling to rein in this sexual misconduct and abuse in its ranks. Some experts believe the lack of oversight of teachers and schools is adding to the problems of an industry experiencing explosive growth, where touch and trust are a fundamental part of the practice.
The women are telling their stories amid a global outcry and reckoning over sexual misconduct and abuse -- the #MeToo movement -- at the highest levels of political office and in many industries, such as film, media and food. The growing number of accounts has forced many businesses and sectors to examine their codes of conduct, reporting processes and handling of bad actors.
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In yoga, experts and leaders say, that soul-searching is only beginning.
West, 50, said initially she was in denial about the November 2013 incident in San Diego -- she felt “psychologically shackled” to Iyengar yoga and kept attending classes with San Francisco-based Manouso Manos. Later, she was afraid to come forward with the allegation: afraid she’d be shunned by the Iyengar community for accusing a famous instructor and afraid it would hurt her livelihood as a yoga teacher of nearly two decades.
But that changed in 2015, when West alleged she saw Manos verbally abuse two students in class (which he denied through a spokesman). Though it wasn’t sexual abuse, seeing the experience of the other students was a wake-up call for her to finally distance herself from that world, she said. Then, in 2016, she read a 1991 news article that compelled her to go public: It said Manos had groped students in the 1980s.
A Flood of #MeToo Stories in Yoga
"W
e are, I believe, just beginning to see the impact on the yoga community of this #MeToo moment,” said Shannon Roche, chief operating officer of Yoga Alliance, a voluntary registry believed to be the industry’s largest credentialing body. “There is a long history of sexual misconduct and of abuse-of-power situations in the yoga community. We also know that, like many other communities, yoga has many times tried to keep those stories in the family.”
Some of those stories became public in December 2017 when a well-known yoga teacher and activist, Rachel Brathen, also known as Yoga Girl, released more than 300 accounts she received in response to a callout for #MeToo incidents. They included rape, groping, inappropriate touching, assault and harassment.
“Everybody knows that there are all these allegations out there. Why are these men still gracing the covers of yoga magazines? Why are they still headlining festivals? Why are they still out there leading teacher trainings, telling young women how to enter this practice?” Brathen told KQED. “It's very, very infuriating.”
To date, Brathen has received between 500 and 1,000 #MeToo stories worldwide. The most stories she got from the U.S. were about incidents that happened in California, while New York was second.
In nearly half of the accounts, an attacker wasn’t named; but in those that did, some named the same teacher, said Brathen. Following legal advice, she removed details that could ID the accused.
The #MeToo stories “shattered the yoga world,” wrote Yoga Journal. Roche said the accounts were “heartbreaking.”
A thread through many of them was “that teachers would take advantage of the inherent power dynamic in the teacher-student relationship,” she said, leaving students feeling “exploited and taken advantage of.”
Some cases of sexual abuse involving high-profile yoga teachers have gone public, such as that of Bikram Choudhury, founder of the California-based Bikram Yoga empire who was accused by multiple women of rape (he was never charged), according to The Associated Press, and that of the now-deceased Krishna Pattabhi Jois, who popularized Ashtanga yoga and was accused by nine women of sexual assault. Many others remain shrouded in secrecy and so-called whisper networks.
Yoga Alliance, formed in the late 1990s, issued a new sexual misconduct policy and procedures for handling these cases earlier this year, but the group declined to share the number of such complaints it had previously received.
“It's (yoga) been a bit of a hunting ground,” said Matthew Remski, a yoga teacher, trainer and culture critic who has written about sexual abuse in the community. “Because of the dominance hierarchies, the pedagogy, the implied consent -- the general sense that the practitioner is there to have their body perfected or to perfect their body and that they are going to submit or surrender to the instructions so that can be so.
“Those have been dominant themes,” he added. “And you know, sexual assault is about power -- it's not about sex.”
‘Anyone Can Be a Teacher’
T
he yoga industry has experienced dramatic growth in the U.S.: Over 36 million people practiced nationwide in 2016, skyrocketing from 16.5 million in 2004, according to the Yoga in America Study. Yoga was a $16 billion industry in 2016, shooting up from $10 billion in 2012.
Yoga Alliance said as of Aug. 31, it had nearly 92,000 registered yoga teachers -- surging from 9,700 in 2004 -- and 6,355 registered yoga schools, jumping from 280 that same year.
But that growth has not been accompanied by much oversight.
Yoga teachers aren’t licensed in the U.S. (In some states like Oklahoma, instructors of teacher training programs have their qualifications approved as part of a school’s licensure). No state agency, such as a medical board, oversees instructors, disciplines or investigates them, or defines their practice.
Roche said that, to her knowledge, there is no federal regulation of yoga.
“Anyone can be a yoga teacher. Anybody could just open a studio and start teaching yoga. They don't have to have any credentials whatsoever. They could have read a book on yoga,” said Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D. and physical therapist, who has been teaching yoga in the Bay Area since 1972.
“There is no accountability, professional accountability of yoga teachers in the United States,” she added. “All you need to be a yoga teacher in the United States of America is students.”
Laura Camp, owner of Flying Studios in Oakland, said the yoga industry was in its adolescence.
“It's almost like, I'm going to say, snake-oil salesmen -- you know, before medicine was codified in the Old West -- and people could just put a shingle up and say I do this,” Camp said. “The seminal crisis of this industry right now is sexual abuse and that has to stop.”
Oversight does exist in a few states. Minnesota, Oklahoma, Washington and Wisconsin actively regulate yoga teacher training programs, according to Yoga Alliance and a KQED analysis. California typically regulates schools that offer such programs as part of a broader portfolio of study -- currently, that number stands at about 15, according to the state’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.
Potential harms of government oversight include the burden of fees and rules on the industry’s many small businesses, Yoga Alliance said. And though licensing may serve “as a form of quality assurance,” defining what a yoga teacher must teach would exclude some practices and “stifle creativity,” the group said.
When asked if this stance reflected the position of the new Yoga Alliance leadership, which came onboard in May 2017, the group said it was refining its stance but generally opposed regulation specifically targeting the practice or teaching of yoga.
Leading yoga experts were split on government oversight.
“Regulation and oversight would have consequences for people who have been truly doing not just unethical behavior but what is actually illegal behavior with their student,” said Lasater, whose credentials include C-IAYT (IAYT certified yoga therapist) and E-RYT-500 (experienced registered yoga teacher, 500 hours of training). “A lack of credentialing creates an arena where almost anything goes, from dangerous adjustments, to teachers with little or no training, to the possibility of major boundary crossings -- sexual, physical and emotional.”
Roche said she didn’t think a lack of government oversight had left the door open to sexual misconduct, but thought Yoga Alliance not having a scope of practice and an updated code of conduct in place -- it’s working on both now -- did.
“In its earlier years, Yoga Alliance maybe did fall a little bit short,” she said. “I don't think anybody envisioned that it would become ... in lieu of government regulation, the self-regulating body for the industry.”
Some dispute that it is: Adhering to any Yoga Alliance standards, codes, guidelines for teacher training programs -- even registering with the group -- is voluntary.
“It doesn't matter if you have a certificate to teach yoga if ... you cannot be prevented from teaching,” Lasater said. “You see what a mess it is? It's a mess.”
Many studios and teachers elect to opt out of the Yoga Alliance world, said Gary Kissiah, a lawyer, yoga philosophy teacher and author. “Teachers can certainly open yoga studios and teachers can teach without having any association with Yoga Alliance.”
Kissiah, who in January published a guide for studios on dealing with sexual misconduct, said he was skeptical that government regulation could solve the problem and felt effective change would come from the ground up. A first step: educating students about what is proper conduct by teachers.
"These teachers basically conned them into thinking it’s part of their spiritual development, a part of the spiritual practice, a part of the tradition -- all these sorts of things,” he said.
Kissiah wrote in his guide that yoga could be lost if “we allow it to collapse into ethical and sexual scandals, watered-down physical education classes and commercial exploitation.”
“If this fire just keeps burning out of control, at some point, the states are going to say we need to step in here and do something,” he told KQED.
‘I Wish I Had Come Forward. ... He’s Still Doing This’
C
harlotte Bell attended a yoga workshop for back pain in San Francisco in February 1988 at the Iyengar Yoga Institute. She said it included a who’s who of teachers, Manos among them.
Bell, then 32, was doing a variation of downward dog: In the pose, a practitioner’s chest is parallel to the floor -- with their legs shooting straight down from their hips -- and their hands on the wall.
That’s when, Bell said, Manos groped her.
“He came up to me from behind, put his hands on my collarbone and swept his hands over my whole front body right over my breasts,” she said. “I was stunned at first. It was like, ‘What? Did he really just do that?’ And then immediately -- because I was this starry-eyed newer student and he's this well-known and well-respected teacher -- immediately I started doubting it.”
Manos did not recognize nor was he familiar with Bell, his spokesman said. No complaint was ever filed, he said, and Manos denied that any adjustment he may have made was inappropriate.
Bell said she buried the incident, but in fall 1989 she heard rumors about other sexual misconduct allegations against Manos -- some that became the subject of a 1991 expose in West, a now-defunct magazine then published by the (San Jose) Mercury News.
Allegations had first surfaced against Manos in 1987. He told a representative of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco that it wouldn’t happen again, wrote reporter Bob Frost.
More allegations were reported in 1989 and the institute suspended him from teaching in October of that year, Frost wrote. (Frost said there were no corrections to the article in which he quoted Manos as saying: “Though there are inaccuracies in the statements made in this article I do recognize the gravity of the subject matter.”) No criminal charges were filed against Manos, Frost wrote. KQED didn’t find any civil or criminal charges either.
B.K.S. Iyengar, who is “universally acknowledged as the modern master of yoga,” according to the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States (IYNAUS), asked the community to forgive Manos, Frost wrote. In October 1990, the S.F. institute’s board of directors voted to reinstate him, Frost wrote.
A spokesman for Manos said the West article was inaccurate, saying Manos wasn’t suspended but voluntarily left (he said he didn’t know the reason for his departure) and didn’t seek reinstatement but was invited to return. He also said Manos denied past and current allegations of sexual misconduct. He didn’t know why Manos hadn’t sought a correction to Frost’s article if he believed there were inaccuracies.
Lasater, who said she was on the board of directors at the time, told KQED she resigned from it after the vote. She said she personally knew of up to five allegations against Manos -- and that she was in a room where he admitted to the sexual misconduct.
“I had a board member’s responsibility to keep our students safe,” she said. “I wasn’t convinced ... that this wasn’t going to happen again.”
West filed a police report in March 2018; the San Diego Police Department said it determined the incident to be a misdemeanor. The case was not forwarded to the city attorney for prosecution because it fell outside the statute of limitations, police said.
West also filed a complaint against Manos with IYNAUS, in which she included corroborating statements from four people who she’d told over the years about the alleged incident. When KQED asked Manos for comment about West’s allegations, his representative shared his May 15 statement to IYNAUS.
“I have devoted 42 years of my life to teaching and educating tens of thousands of students in a professional and ethical manner,” he wrote. “I categorically deny Ms. West’s allegations, but still feel horrible that a student of mine has these feelings.”
Manos said West was a student over many years: “It does not make sense to me why she would continue to take my classes if she supposedly felt uncomfortable.”
“I am shocked that any adjustment I may have provided to Ms. West in a classroom filled with 50 students has been characterized by her as an ‘assault’ of a sexual nature,” he said, noting that he asks students if he can touch them before making any hands-on adjustments. “That is a very serious accusation and one I do not take lightly.”
Bell, 63, a yoga teacher and writer/editor who lives in Salt Lake City, said she wrote about the alleged groping in 2013 and 2017. But she never named Manos, thinking he’d taken responsibility and wasn’t doing it anymore, nor did she file a police report or complaint with a yoga body.
“I didn't come forward until now -- until I found out that indeed he was still doing this and the incident was strikingly similar to what happened to me,” she said.
Bell said another person in the yoga community connected her to West.
“Damn, I wish I had come forward” sooner, she said. “When I heard her story, I felt like, wow, he's still doing this, and maybe I could have helped. So I felt bad ... that I didn’t say anything all those years.”
West wasn’t upset with Bell for not saying anything -- but she was upset with the national Iyengar yoga association (IYNAUS).
“They knew that he'd been at this" for decades, West said. “We weren't forewarned that essentially this predator was in our midst and we weren't able to make an informed decision as to whether or not we were even going to walk into his class. ... Why didn't we all know about this?”
A third woman told KQED Manos slipped his hands inside her bra and massaged her breasts while she was in a resting pose during a 1986 class in New York – an account shared in the Frost article. She wrote California Iyengar yoga leaders in 1990 after she learned Manos would attend an upcoming convention in San Diego despite the sexual misconduct allegations.
Bonnie Anthony, chair of the convention’s coordinating committee, replied in a May 7, 1990, letter, saying she was “willing to give him this one more chance.”
“It was our recommendation to Mr. Iyengar (and he agreed) to keep Manouso in a low profile at the Convention,” Anthony wrote. “Manouso has a problem, much like alcoholism. He has openly admitted it to Mr. Iyengar and to others and is in therapy, along with his wife, Rita.”
KQED contacted Anthony, sharing with her the May 7 letter plus one the woman sent in response dated May 27 and an earlier one to Lasater from April 18, 1990. Anthony replied: "The matter re: Manouso was settled many years ago and I have nothing additional to add to the record."
Manos' spokesman denied the 1986 allegation and said he doesn't have anything to say about the letter.
IYNAUS declined to answer KQED’s questions about its current Manos investigation or past allegations involving him, citing confidentiality.
When asked about the San Francisco Iyengar institute’s handling of the previous allegations against Manos, Brian Hogencamp, president of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Northern California, said he did not know or have additional information to make a comment. Manos is not a teacher at the S.F. institute; he plays an unpaid, external, advisory role to the teachers of one program, Hogencamp said.
Donna Farhi, a yoga instructor since 1982 who was on the board of Yoga Journal in the late 1980s, said by email that the publication got letters around that time from several women, unknown to each other and from different states, alleging Manos had “sexually molested” them in class.
“We made the decision not to feature him in the magazine, or to allow his name to appear in any advertising that might be purchased by someone hosting him,” said Farhi, who is helping Yoga Alliance draft a code of conduct for teachers and is an author of five books, including one on ethics for yoga teachers.
Farhi said she knew of West’s and Bell’s allegations, and they showed how students could be abused in class.
“When students are in positions where they can’t even see each other, it’s almost impossible for these women to get substantive evidence from others that these incidents did indeed happen,” she said.
'We’re Not the Yoga Police'
W
hen sexual misconduct or abuse does happen in yoga, people don’t have many ways to report it -- except for going to the police.
In a December 2017 post sharing her #MeToo experience of being sexually assaulted by a teacher, international yoga instructor Kino MacGregor said she reported the attack to Yoga Alliance.
“They replied with a standardized email saying that they could take no action. It made me so mad because it felt like there was no accountability in the yoga world,” she wrote.
Roche said it was awful to see Yoga Alliance being called out in that story, but added, “I'm glad she did.” The group separated policies for handling sexual misconduct from other grievances; Roche said they needed to be treated with more sensitivity and care.
“We are not law enforcement, unfortunately,” she added, echoing a line in a video to the membership in which she said, “We’re not becoming the yoga police.”
“We don't have the same resources that they do, and so we won't be able to take the same kind of action that law enforcement would,” she told KQED.
The national Iyengar yoga association, which formed in 1991, investigates complaints of ethical violations, including sexual misconduct, said Manju Vachher, chair of the group’s ethics committee.
The committee recommends sanctions to the executive council, if necessary, Vachher said. Information is shared with the parties involved and occasionally with the executive council.
“Your interest in exploring how the yoga community is responding to the ‘Me Too Movement’ is important,” Vachher said in an email. “I am not able to do an interview or discuss any cases due to the confidentiality issues. During and after any investigative process, we uphold strict standards of privacy for all parties ...”
Vachher declined to answer questions about the number of complaints made against Manos to IYNAUS since the late 1980s allegations arose and how many teachers the group has sanctioned over sexual misconduct complaints (and what the sanctions are for such violations).
West doesn’t think the committee can be an independent arbiter of Manos, who is on the association’s senior council.
“They're just one arm of an organization -- the same organization giving him these accolades and awards,” she said.
'He Felt That I Needed to Feel More Into My Body’
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fter moving to Oakland from L.A. in 2016, Deisha Smith had left some business problems behind and was looking to make friends in her new home. She thought yoga teacher training would be one way to do that.
At first, Smith said things felt great: Her mentor at Piedmont Yoga in Berkeley and Oakland, Zubin Shroff, dubbed her the “minister of joy” for sharing uplifting news items. After her one-on-one sessions began with Shroff in fall 2016, however, things took a turn: She said he had her meet him at his West Berkeley condo, where they discussed personal things about her life -- rarely yoga. Finding the experience odd, she eventually stopped going.
After a short break, Smith said, Shroff reached out, saying they should restart the sessions. And, she should let him give her a massage.
“He felt that I needed to feel more into my body and that would involve him doing massage. Shiatsu massage. I've never had shiatsu massage,” said Smith, 40, who works in financing and funding for small businesses. “I didn't even look it up -- but that's how trusting I was of the situation.”
Smith said the sessions in February and March 2017 were “all massage that got increasingly uncomfortable,” on a futon mattress. Unlike before, there was no conversation. They were both clothed.
"In the fifth (final) session, he spent the majority of the time massaging my butt and groin,” she said in a June 2017 statement to the Berkeley Police Department. “He literally massaged my butt and innermost part of my groin, as close as he could possibly be without physically touching my actual vagina.”
She thought the shiatsu was “extremely weird and uncomfortable, but just part of the procedure,” she said in her police statement. “He was my instructor so the last thing I expected was for him to do anything inappropriate."
When asked about Smith’s allegation, Shroff said in an email that he did not touch anyone inappropriately. In that same correspondence dated March 1, Shroff said he was no longer the studio’s director and noted it was “the end of a prolonged transition phase” where he had “been stepping back from directing the studio and teaching.” (Piedmont Yoga is a storied Bay Area yoga institution that has a checkered past with one of its founders, Rodney Yee, marrying a student and having sexual relationships with other students, according to various media reports.)
Smith wasn’t the only student getting massage from Shroff: Sarah Shimazaki said she had about 10 shiatsu sessions at Shroff’s condo starting in March 2017, paying about $40 for each one. She said the shiatsu was a “positive” experience that helped her where talk therapy hadn’t, and Shroff never touched her inappropriately.
Another student, who didn’t want to be identified, said Shroff told her during a one-on-one session at his condo in December 2016 that he offered shiatsu “at no cost” to students. She declined and said she later wondered, “ ‘Why is he offering me a free massage?’”
“I thought he was creeping on the people he was attracted to or the people who somehow appeared to be vulnerable,” she said.
Smith reported the massage to two teachers in the program and to the police. One of the teachers, Leslie Howard, told police she didn’t know Shroff was offering massage to students, nor had she heard of him providing massage sessions to any other students.
When she asked him about the massage, Howard said Shroff told her: “I totally get it, I won't do this anymore.”
“My thought, my feeling about Zubin is his heart is in the right place,” Howard said. “He has let so many people who can't afford yoga programs do the program for little to no money.”
Howard also said that when she asked Smith if Shroff had touched her inappropriately, Smith said “no.”
Shroff was a certified ohashiatsu consultant from 2011-13, according to the New York-based Ohashi International Ltd, which also said he graduated from the institute’s six-level curriculum program.
But Shroff didn’t have a license to perform massage in Berkeley, said Matthai Chakko, assistant to the city manager. Nor was he certified with the California Massage Therapy Council (which said such ohashiatsu credentials would not qualify someone to get certification with the organization).
California doesn’t have state licensing for massage, but the vast majority of its cities and counties have massage therapy ordinances. While certification with CAMTC is voluntary, cities are required by state law to accept it.
Berkeley authorities opened a code enforcement case regarding Shroff’s lack of massage and business licenses. In late June, Shroff was sent a notice of violation, which serves as a warning to encourage compliance, Chakko said.
“At the scheduled site inspection this week at his Berkeley condo, Mr. Shroff stated he has relinquished his part-ownership with Piedmont Yoga and no longer conducts any business within the City. Code Enforcement verified that his unit is vacant and actively listed for sale,” Chakko wrote on July 20.
“The case is now closed,” Chakko said. “Should new information arise, or if we find future violations with his involvement, we will pick up where we left off.”
Chakko said Shroff wasn’t penalized over the zoning violation, noting it was the city’s initial contact and the goal is to bring people into voluntary compliance.
Berkeley police forwarded Smith’s case with a charge of misdemeanor sexual battery to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, which declined to prosecute.
Howard recalled Smith as a student who didn’t participate as much in the beginning of the program but got more engaged over time.
“She did a stellar job in her student teaching class. ... I was just like, ‘Wow,’” Howard said. But when Howard went to Shroff to advocate for Smith at one point, she said he told her Smith wasn’t “participating in his class at all.”
Shimazaki said Shroff told her about the police investigation in June 2017; the next month, she said, he spoke with her and others about transferring the business to them. In early August 2018, Shimazaki said Shroff would be transferring the business to her and another student, though it wasn’t yet complete; she said he would assist as an adviser. On Friday, she said she wouldn’t be taking over. Shroff didn’t reply to an inquiry last week about who owned the business.
The transfer had nothing to do with Smith’s allegation, Shroff said.
Smith closes her police statement saying: “I do not want this to happen to anyone else. It was as though he was taking advantage of his role as the instructor to engage in the inappropriate massage.”
‘We Cannot Rely on Karma Alone’
S
ome people become dedicated to yoga “at a time of a lot of disruption in their life,” making it imperative that studios offer a safe space for students to practice, said Sarah Herrington, program administrator for the yoga studies program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
To help do that, Roche said Yoga Alliance was recommending studios set up reporting processes. That’s what Kissiah, the lawyer and yoga philosophy teacher, thinks will make an impact -- but right now is “absolutely lacking.”
Studios should have a code of conduct and a hotline or an email address where students can contact an independent ethics committee, he said. “That recommendation is really nothing other than applying what's very common in corporate America to the world of yoga studios.”
“What most studios have done is either nothing or they have referred to the ethical code in the Yoga Sutras,” which is general and doesn't provide “guidance in the modern context,” he said. “Often what happens is one of these situations arises and there's this huge panic because they simply don't have the structure or the means to deal with it.”
Herrington urged studios to post a code of ethics and have a place to report abuse. “We cannot rely on karma alone,” she wrote in a 2017 New York Times op-ed.
For Smith, such a reporting process didn’t exist -- and it’s part of the reason she wanted to share her story: to push for this kind of change. Her alleged assailant also was the head of the studio, complicating her reporting of his behavior.
Shroff said mediation was offered and he would have attended; Smith said she was initially interested but changed her mind due to her experience in college after she was raped. She said she didn't get anything from mediation then and questioned if the teachers would take on the person paying them.
West had the same concerns.
“I felt if I went against Manos I would be going against a big organization ... against the Iyengar family themselves” because of his close ties to B.K.S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar, West said. “There will be a sense of betrayal. ... that I'm betraying Iyengar yoga and I'm betraying the Iyengar family.”
‘It Was a Bloodbath’
S
ome people in the yoga community have taken a hard stand on dealing with sexual misconduct.
Camp, owner of Flying Studios in Oakland, has twice fired teachers over sexual harassment allegations, which almost put her out of business -- both times.
“There was a huge backlash and a huge loss of income and a huge loss of community,” she said after the first dismissal. “Open letter on my Facebook about how I needed to hire this person back or these students would never come back. It was a bloodbath. And then it happened again.”
Lisa Maria, a yoga instructor in the Bay Area who has written about sexual misconduct in the community, said studios have removed teachers from the schedule following complaints.
“In my experience, this seems to be getting better,” Maria said. “People are much more willing to talk about it now, and I think people are seeing responses from studios about it.”
SoulPlay Festivals, which organizes events around yoga, dance, personal growth and more, stresses safety, touch and consent at its gatherings: Presenters offer frequent reminders about it, the group has an online form to report misconduct, and staff are on site to handle allegations, said Romi Elan, founder and CEO of SoulPlay Festivals.
“It's that feeling of safety ... is what allows people to open up, open themselves up to having a very profound and deep experience,” he said.
Other studios and groups haven’t adopted such strategies.
Sometimes studio owners won't do anything about teachers accused of sexual misconduct because they’re a popular instructor, said Lasater. Or if they do fire them, “then the teacher just goes down the road and teaches somewhere else,” she said.
“Yoga teachers can reinvent themselves over and over and over again because of the ability to move from place to place,” Lisa Maria said.
Some students have left their studio -- or even given up the practice of yoga -- after misconduct or abuse. The latter was the case for some of the women who responded to KQED’s callout for #MeToo stories.
Herrington said she stopped attending classes taught by her favorite teacher after he began sending her sexually explicit messages on social media.
“Often what happens is that the student disappears and goes to another community. You lose your community. Because if somebody is running the show, and they're doing the misuse of power, where are you going to go?” she said.
The only thing that can stop a teacher who is sexually abusing students is if the studio owner takes action or if the victim goes the legal route, said Lasater. “They (the victim) have to be the one that shoulders all the burden,” she said.
And yet there’s not much that law enforcement can do: Most sex assault cases don’t make it into the criminal courts, said Kristen Houser, a spokeswoman at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
The challenge for prosecutors in pursuing these cases can be convincing jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred, especially when there aren’t other witnesses -- if it happened one on one, which could trigger a “he said/she said” scenario, said Mary Ashley, an assistant district attorney in San Bernardino County whose work has included sexual battery cases.
“It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” she said. Even if “a jury says, ‘Well, I kind of believe her but I don't totally disbelieve him,’ the law at least criminally will say you have to give favor to the defendant.”
‘This Happened to Me, and I’m a Teacher’
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eaving yoga has been a heartbreaking consideration for Eka Ekong, a yoga teacher in Marin County, over the last year.
It began, she said, with an unwelcome remark.
Ekong, 42, of San Rafael, was taking a class in November 2017 at the studio where she worked. She’d just taken her sweatshirt off when the teacher, Allan Nett looked at her, she recalled, and said: “This is what I get to look at the whole time.” (Nett denied saying that, noting he said, “Now I can see you” -- meaning it would help him give her correct adjustments. He said he had no intention of objectifying her body or being sexual.)
The comment unnerved Ekong, she said, but she continued with the practice -- though later, she said, he adjusted her legs while she was in the lunge pose of Warrior 2.
“He came behind me and put his hands on my legs close to my genitals and he abruptly pulled my legs apart,” she said. “I came out of the pose. I tried to kind of neutralize or equalize because I could feel something was off.” (Nett said given his stature -- 5-foot-3, 120 pounds -- and that at the time he was awaiting an open heart operation, he didn’t have the strength, energy or size to “abruptly” pull her legs apart.)
Something was off: According to medical records, Ekong's doctor found she’d sustained a leg/groin injury, suffering bruising and soft tissue injuries. A week after the alleged assault, her doctor wrote, she had “significant swelling and several very tender areas where the instructor’s hands were placed as well as the surrounding tissues.”
Nett, 72, said he asks permission from students before he touches them, and Ekong said she had given him the OK earlier in the class to make adjustments.
“I put one hand just above the knee on the inner thigh and the other hand above the knee on the outer thigh ... to demonstrate and have the student feel the rotation that the pose requires to bring the hips into alignment,” he said. “So I've got hands above her knee -- one hand on the inside, one hand on the outside -- and I've got a good grip there and I'm starting to roll that thigh backwards.”
He said he “thought that she understood the action that I was asking for in the pose as she came up. There was not any kind of indication that she injured herself or that there was injury going on.”
As of today, Ekong said she still can’t practice yoga. She said she goes weekly to physical and trauma therapies, and sees her doctor every few weeks.
“There are some days my body just hurts,” she said. “And really basic things are not so basic.” Like putting on shoes. Walking. Straightening her legs. It has also been hard to sit, including cross-legged -- one of the most common poses in yoga.
The emotional wounds run deep, too, for Ekong, who began practicing in 1999 and teaching in 2006.
“Every day, my close friends, students and peers, they ask me, how are you healing? I don’t know what to tell them,” she wrote to the national Iyengar yoga association.
“How do I tell them at some moments I’m OK and then I’m in tears. How do I explain that this morning I was so angry that I wanted to scream out loud, that I wonder if I’ll ever be able to practice yoga asana again or feel safe as a student in the yoga studio? That I wonder daily if I still want to be a teacher and part of a larger systemic issue that elevates the teacher and lessens the wisdom of the student,” she continued in the letter.
“I don’t know if it involves teaching, but yoga will always be a part of my life. But I can’t say what that looks like,” she said. “There’s some part of me that has been taken away that I’m still trying to find again.”
Nett, an instructor of more than 25 years who hasn’t been teaching recently due to his surgery, said he was let go from the studio, which KQED isn’t naming due to Ekong’s concern that it’s her place of employment. The studio said it could not comment on specific employee matters.
“All I can say is, 'Gee whiz, I'm sorry that you got injured in my class.’ But I think there's more to this story than anybody's ever going to know,” he said in an hour-long phone call with KQED, adding that he felt there were enough “little inconsistencies” in Ekong’s description of the injuries that “I really question the truth of it all."
“As she has described it, I find it difficult to accept that she was injured. It was possibly a pre-existing weakness, combined with the strong posture of Warrior II that strained,” he said. But he also noted: “There's certainly some truth in it and I'm not saying that she was not injured.”
About five years ago, Nett said one of his students complained about inappropriate touch (not of a sexual nature; she just didn’t want to be touched) to a studio owner in Oakland: “I took it to heart,” he said, and modified his behavior.
Touch is an important part of learning, Nett said: “By moving a muscle manually the body understands it, and you don't have to think about it." But he has decided to stop offering adjustments.
“This has been traumatic. And I'm sure it's traumatic for her,” he said.
Immediately after the incident, Ekong withdrew from her friends and yoga community. She said she felt like she was wearing a scarlet letter “A,” was somehow to blame for what happened, and that her studio was no longer her home.
Then, she knew she had to speak out. She contacted the studio, Central Marin police and the national Iyengar yoga association.
“I think it’s important that you know this is happening, because if this happened to me and I’m a teacher, imagine what’s really happening and people aren’t saying anything,” she recalled telling the studio.
She and Nett said IYNAUS is reviewing her complaint (the group declined to comment about the case, citing confidentiality).
The Central Marin police said in an email that there was no mention of sexual assault when Ekong’s report was made, and since it “was not criminal in nature,” it did not meet the criteria for referral to the DA. The matter, police said, was left to the studio to handle; Ekong said she intends to file a supplemental report to police.
‘Most Victims Don’t Report’
H
oward, one of the teachers in the Piedmont Yoga training program, wanted to know why Deisha Smith hadn’t told her about the alleged inappropriate touch by director Zubin Shroff when she reported the massage and when Howard said she had specifically asked about it.
“I was completely uncomfortable and I was still dealing with the fact that he did not vaginally insert me. He 'just touched me,'” Smith said.
A number of the women who contacted KQED with their stories didn’t report right away to law enforcement or others what happened -- or only partially reported it.
Such behavior isn’t unusual: When sexual misconduct is reported, partial or delayed reporting -- or inconsistencies in such reports -- are “the norm and it should be expected,” said Houser.
“Through our eyes, that bolsters the validity of complaints,” she added. Few people make prompt complaints, include all of the details, and consistently tell it the same way. “That's not how traumatic events are processed and stored in our bodies and in our brains.”
While 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men in the U.S. reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime, only one in 10 women -- and one in 20 men -- filed an official complaint or report to an authority figure, including a police report, according to a January 2018 Stop Street Harassment online survey of 2,000 people.
Most victims don't report, or hold off doing so, for a variety of reasons. But they “all fall under the large umbrella of: They don’t trust the rest of us to respond appropriately,” said Houser.
Those reasons, she said, include fear of being disbelieved, blamed or having their privacy violated through gossip. Some people fear repercussions in their home life or their social circles, which often include the assailant.
“People often keep it to themselves, not to mention it's a very confusing thing when somebody that you know and trust violates that trust,” Houser said.
When asked what was holding people back from reporting abuse in yoga, Brathen said: “I think the biggest piece is fear of being alienated from this community that means so much to us.” That community built through yoga, she said, is “sacred” and such an “important part of the practice.”
‘I Trusted Yoga So I Trusted Him’
“A
re you 18 years old? Holy shit.” That was the first message a Bay Area teenager said that her yoga teacher sent to her.
She was then 17, in the summer before her first year in college; he was twice her age. She said she had a crush on him and thought he liked her, too.
Over the next few months, she said her teacher groomed her to have sex with him: In a number of text messages, he said he had something to tell her, but to do that, they had to meet in person and in private. (The teenager, who didn’t want to be identified out of concerns for her privacy and safety, shared the Facebook and text messages with KQED).
“He wanted to meet me alone so he could explain why everything had to be so secretive and he would always say it will all make sense once we get to chat in person,” she said. “I am a kid but I'm not dumb. And I knew the obvious reasons, which were that you don't want people to think that you fuck your students and I'm really young.”
One of his text messages read: “I know I sound like some kind of criminal or something but it would be great if we could hang out in a place that is not so public.” Another one read: “Any place that is low key so we aren’t seen.”
Early on, she expressed reservations about connecting outside the classroom. She’d blossomed in yoga: It helped ease her anxiety and made her feel safe, capable and independent. “I was convinced that I wanted to be a yoga teacher. It was my whole thing,” she said. “I considered it a big defining part of who I was.”
But he assured her, in text messages, that she could keep coming to classes.
Eventually, they did meet outside the studio -- a week before her 18th birthday.
She said he invited her to a bar in a quiet Bay Area community, where he bought her several drinks (she had a fake ID), and then he took her to a hotel, where they smoked hashish. She recalled being “very intoxicated and a little woozy” before they had sex.
In a nearly two-hour interview with KQED, the teacher said he didn’t have sex with her and that he left her with two of his friends in the hotel room whom he declined to identify; the police report said it was clear from the text messages that the pair did have a sexual relationship, “however brief,” and no mention was made of his friends. The teen said he didn’t have friends with him.
The teacher also said the teenager told him she was 18; she said her birthday -- including year -- was listed on Facebook, and though she at one point told him in a SMS that she was 18, she said she thought he knew her real age and they were both “going to pretend” she was 18. The police also noted that she had not told him her real age but said she was 18.
After their encounter, she said he left the hotel a short time later but it took months for her to realize what had happened: “I was basically sexually abused and manipulated.”
“I felt dumb for thinking that because he was my yoga teacher and because he was so much older than me -- because he was my spiritual counselor in some ways -- that he wouldn't take advantage of me,” she said.
“I trusted yoga so I trusted him,” she said. “I shouldn't have made that connection.”
When she came back home from college to the Bay Area, she planned to tell her mom -- only to find out she had gone through her phone and seen the messages.
The teen’s mom said she called some studios where he taught to report the teacher; he said one let him go and he assumed it was because of the mother’s calls. Another studio owner said they let him go because of the allegations.
The teacher said it had been “one really long hard struggle” after the teen -- who he called “just a fuckin’ girl” -- went to the police.
“I’ll just say that her mom tried really hard to make my life extremely hard and she succeeded,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of sleep over this and been hurt ... I’ve had to ask some people for support.”
The teenager decided to come forward with her story after learning that a second student, Leah Tumerman, 36, had accused the teacher of threatening earlier this year that he and his partner should “Bill Cosby her.” Tumerman told police she understood this to mean “he would drug and rape me.”
Tumerman, a longtime student of the teacher, said she became scared of him and his change in personality. The pair had gotten into a conversation about food over text message, and the discussion somehow took a turn, she said. The teacher denied making the comment but said they did argue about food. Tumerman, an artist from Richmond, filed a police report for documentation purposes only.
The teen’s case was forwarded to the DA’s office, which declined to prosecute.
‘You Have to Face the Shame of Your Complicity’
A
number of women have come forward in recent months to share their accounts of alleged abuse by their yoga teachers -- triggering a growing conversation in the community about sexual misconduct.
In December, Yoga Alliance issued a statement on sexual misconduct in the yoga community. In January, it released Roche’s video and a podcast on the topic, and weeks later published sexual misconduct disciplinary procedures and a policy on its website. In early September, the group said it could “confirm that we have suspended and revoked credentials under our new policy.”
“In this #MeToo moment, we too must act,” Roche, of Yoga Alliance, said in the video. “There’s a deeply troubling pattern of misconduct within our community, a pattern that touches almost every tradition in modern yoga. To definitively turn the page on that history, we must openly acknowledge the issue of sexual misconduct in yoga.”
Remski, the yoga teacher and culture critic, said Roche’s message to the yoga community heralded a “sea change moment.”
“It puts the entire culture on notice that this is a thing. It's not dirty laundry anymore. It's totally out in the open,” he said. “With one sentence, she implicated the entire culture as having enabled this and that's what hasn't been done yet. ... Nobody has looked at it as a systemic problem -- because when you look at it as a systemic problem, you have to face the shame of your complicity.”
Lasater said she was very supportive of Yoga Alliance’s efforts but felt the community still has a long way to go.
“If teachers don't have true consequences, what is going to cause them to change their behavior?” she said. “Nothing.”
Brathen, or Yoga Girl, said she was “torn” over Yoga Alliance’s initial solutions.
“I am still very unclear as to what action will be taken at the end of the day,” she said. “If the worst thing that can happen to you as a perpetrator is that your name gets taken off the website, I don't think that that's going to do a whole lot.”
In early August, Brathen published her second series of #MeToo stories. She wrote how tough it was to expel the alleged sexual harassers and abusers from the community.
A Stone, a Token: The New Conversation on Touch Consent
L
asater and other yoga leaders said they felt students -- particularly women -- were going to be a part of the solution. One sign already? The “touch consent” cards, chips and tokens popping up in studios across the country. Years ago, the first version of those were painted stones, paper clips, even a leaf.
Students would place such an object on top or below their mat to signal if a teacher could touch them, said Remski.
“The yoga room has been a space of implied consent. And that is no longer the case. The politics, the techniques, the methods of consent are now fully part of yoga discourse,” Remski said. “It undoes something profound in the last 100 years of yoga pedagogy, which is the notion that the teachers should decide what the student needs or what they should do.”
The growing use of the tokens has broader implications, too.
“The #MeToo movement also signifies a solidification of the change in leadership in modern yoga from men to women because those tokens ... are the latest generation of what women started using about 10 or 12 years ago in small studios,” he said. “It's a grass-roots idea that has worked its way up.”
Teachers now typically ask students at the beginning of class to let them know if they want adjustments or not, and some instructors are holding workshops on touch and consent.
Bayley Blackney hosted such a gathering at a studio in Capitola in late March.
“Touch is something that I’m so passionate about. It’s love language and I am very, very passionate about creating a safe touch,” she said. “Now is the time to really offer this.”
The women that KQED interviewed experienced all of this and more as they grappled with what they said their teachers did to them.
“Sometimes I'm really angry because I feel like I lost a large chunk of my life living in a cloud that I didn't realize I was in until I got out of it,” Smith said.
She has experienced panic attacks, anxiety and days where she couldn’t get out of bed. Thirty-one percent of women and 20 percent of men felt anxiety or depression after experiencing sexual harassment and assault, according to Stop Street Harassment.
Smith still doesn’t have her teacher certificate, although Shroff said in a July 17 email that she’d met the requirements. Smith said she has an outstanding payment that she can’t bring herself to pay because she'd regret "paying to be abused."
As for the teen, she said it’s been a hard reckoning for her.
“I was fresh out of high school and I slept with someone literally twice my age -- like halfway between me and my parents,” she said. “It took my innocence away.”
Tumerman, who alleged the same teacher involved in the teen’s case had threatened to “Bill Cosby” her, hasn’t returned to yoga. Her last time was in his class, after the threat.
“I was still processing the change, my new understanding of my teacher,” she said in explaining why she attended the class. “I practiced with my eyes closed the entire time. ... I couldn't look at him. The sound of his voice was making me shake.
“I did my practice and I rolled up my mat and left the room. And I haven't seen him since,” she added.
Ekong said: “My life is forever changed.” She has decided to leave the Bay Area.
“It’s not home. I can’t heal here,” she said. "I don't want to worry about running into him or students asking when are you going to come back to teach."
As for West, she said she has removed herself to the “outskirts” of the Iyengar yoga community and attends classes only with the one teacher she can trust.
“Yoga isn't a safe space for me anymore. And it used to be,” she said. “I would take workshops and go to conventions and travel to India. And none of that is happening anymore. I have no interest in it.
“What had been my life is now no longer my life.”
Edited by David Weir and Patricia Yollin
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Cecil Williams, the beloved social justice activist and longtime pastor of San Francisco’s Glide Memorial Church, died Monday at the age of 94.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams is best known for his stewardship of the Tenderloin neighborhood church that he became pastor of in 1963 and helped develop into a world-renowned congregation and social service nonprofit. As its leader, Williams built and oversaw multiple community outreach programs that have offered crucial support to hundreds of thousands of impoverished residents in the city over the last six decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chief among those initiatives is the Free Meals Program. Launched in 1980, the program provides three free hot meals a day to anyone in need, dishing out hundreds of thousands of meals each year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Willliams also became known for his welcoming approach to the LGBT community and his unflinching support of civil rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One very special thing about Cecil was that he met everyone where they were — literally and spiritually,” said Oakland resident Ernestine Nettles, who has volunteered at Glide for over 50 years, and first met Williams when she was a child. “If you couldn’t make it to the church to get a Thanksgiving meal, volunteers packed them up and brought them out to the streets, handing them out to everyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nettles noted that Williams “embodied the spirit of Christianity” in not passing judgment and loving people as they are. She said he treated everyone as equals, no matter their race, age, background, economic status, sexuality, past, or present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He is a true example of not only a Christian, but an American,” said Nettles, recalling how Williams championed a range of local and national social justice causes, and even once came to her Oakland high school to help her campaign to allow girls to wear pants. “He was a drum major for justice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"related coverage\" tag=\"cecil-williams\"]The grandson of a slave, Albert Cecil Williams was born Sept. 22, 1929, and raised in the segregated West Texas town of San Angelo. He was one of six children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After moving to San Francisco, Williams helped revive Glide with Janice Mirikitani, who later became his wife. Mirikitani \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11883109/janice-mirikitani-glide-co-founder-and-sf-poet-laureate-dies\">died in 2021\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the addition of a chorus and a band, Williams’ church soon began hosting spirited, celebratory Sunday services that attracted a diverse swath of parishioners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he retired as the church’s pastor in 2000, he retained his roles as the Minister of Liberation and CEO of \u003ca href=\"https://www.glide.org/\">the GLIDE Foundation\u003c/a> — organization that now has a more than $20 million budget and thousands of members — until last year, when \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/rev-cecil-williams-glide-steps-down-17799046.php\">he officially stepped down\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Randy Shaw, the director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, who wrote a book on the history of the neighborhood, said Williams’ leadership of the church was transformative. Many people, he said, don’t realize that when Williams was hired to lead Glide, the congregation was almost down to the single digits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He chose a remarkably unsurprising strategy to rebuild the congregation. He decided to be a fierce advocate for social justice and civil rights. And most controversial for the time, he became an outspoken advocate for lesbian and gay and transgender rights” at a time when San Francisco Police were arresting gay and lesbian people for being in bars, Shaw said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In turning Glide into a major deliverer of social services, Williams became a prolific fundraiser and powerful booster, garnering the support of celebrities and major influencers, the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Bono and Warren Buffet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cecil was able to make financial connections to donors that no one else in the Tenderloin, and maybe even in San Francisco, could make,” he said. “He was the fiery minister who was urging people to get involved in stuff and fighting for justice and not mincing words about things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Mayor London Breed called Williams “the conscience of our San Francisco community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He spoke out against injustice and he spoke for the marginalized,” she said. “He led with compassion and wisdom, always putting the people first and never relenting in his pursuit of justice and equality. His kindness brought people together and his vision changed our City and the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breed also noted how Williams championed the idea of supportive housing and “wraparound” services for those in need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As a young girl, I would never have dreamed I’d grow up to work with him,” she said. “We all benefited from his guidance, his support, and his moral compass. We would not be who we are as a city and a people without the legendary Cecil Williams.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article includes reporting from KQED’s Matthew Green, Alex Gonzalez, and Bay City News.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Williams became pastor of Glide in 1963, where he helped build and oversee multiple community outreach programs and social service initiatives that have provided crucial support to hundreds of thousands of impoverished residents in the city over the last 6 decades.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713978737,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":22,"wordCount":818},"headData":{"title":"Cecil Williams, Legendary Pastor of Glide Church, Dies at 94 | KQED","description":"Williams became pastor of Glide in 1963, where he helped build and oversee multiple community outreach programs and social service initiatives that have provided crucial support to hundreds of thousands of impoverished residents in the city over the last 6 decades.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Cecil Williams, Legendary Pastor of Glide Church, Dies at 94","datePublished":"2024-04-23T01:52:17.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-24T17:12:17.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}}},"sticky":false,"excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11983768/cecil-williams-legendary-pastor-of-glide-church-dies-at-94","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Rev. Cecil Williams, the beloved social justice activist and longtime pastor of San Francisco’s Glide Memorial Church, died Monday at the age of 94.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams is best known for his stewardship of the Tenderloin neighborhood church that he became pastor of in 1963 and helped develop into a world-renowned congregation and social service nonprofit. As its leader, Williams built and oversaw multiple community outreach programs that have offered crucial support to hundreds of thousands of impoverished residents in the city over the last six decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chief among those initiatives is the Free Meals Program. Launched in 1980, the program provides three free hot meals a day to anyone in need, dishing out hundreds of thousands of meals each year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Willliams also became known for his welcoming approach to the LGBT community and his unflinching support of civil rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One very special thing about Cecil was that he met everyone where they were — literally and spiritually,” said Oakland resident Ernestine Nettles, who has volunteered at Glide for over 50 years, and first met Williams when she was a child. “If you couldn’t make it to the church to get a Thanksgiving meal, volunteers packed them up and brought them out to the streets, handing them out to everyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nettles noted that Williams “embodied the spirit of Christianity” in not passing judgment and loving people as they are. She said he treated everyone as equals, no matter their race, age, background, economic status, sexuality, past, or present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He is a true example of not only a Christian, but an American,” said Nettles, recalling how Williams championed a range of local and national social justice causes, and even once came to her Oakland high school to help her campaign to allow girls to wear pants. “He was a drum major for justice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"related coverage ","tag":"cecil-williams"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The grandson of a slave, Albert Cecil Williams was born Sept. 22, 1929, and raised in the segregated West Texas town of San Angelo. He was one of six children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After moving to San Francisco, Williams helped revive Glide with Janice Mirikitani, who later became his wife. Mirikitani \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11883109/janice-mirikitani-glide-co-founder-and-sf-poet-laureate-dies\">died in 2021\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the addition of a chorus and a band, Williams’ church soon began hosting spirited, celebratory Sunday services that attracted a diverse swath of parishioners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he retired as the church’s pastor in 2000, he retained his roles as the Minister of Liberation and CEO of \u003ca href=\"https://www.glide.org/\">the GLIDE Foundation\u003c/a> — organization that now has a more than $20 million budget and thousands of members — until last year, when \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/rev-cecil-williams-glide-steps-down-17799046.php\">he officially stepped down\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Randy Shaw, the director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, who wrote a book on the history of the neighborhood, said Williams’ leadership of the church was transformative. Many people, he said, don’t realize that when Williams was hired to lead Glide, the congregation was almost down to the single digits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He chose a remarkably unsurprising strategy to rebuild the congregation. He decided to be a fierce advocate for social justice and civil rights. And most controversial for the time, he became an outspoken advocate for lesbian and gay and transgender rights” at a time when San Francisco Police were arresting gay and lesbian people for being in bars, Shaw said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In turning Glide into a major deliverer of social services, Williams became a prolific fundraiser and powerful booster, garnering the support of celebrities and major influencers, the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Bono and Warren Buffet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cecil was able to make financial connections to donors that no one else in the Tenderloin, and maybe even in San Francisco, could make,” he said. “He was the fiery minister who was urging people to get involved in stuff and fighting for justice and not mincing words about things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Mayor London Breed called Williams “the conscience of our San Francisco community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He spoke out against injustice and he spoke for the marginalized,” she said. “He led with compassion and wisdom, always putting the people first and never relenting in his pursuit of justice and equality. His kindness brought people together and his vision changed our City and the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breed also noted how Williams championed the idea of supportive housing and “wraparound” services for those in need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As a young girl, I would never have dreamed I’d grow up to work with him,” she said. “We all benefited from his guidance, his support, and his moral compass. We would not be who we are as a city and a people without the legendary Cecil Williams.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article includes reporting from KQED’s Matthew Green, Alex Gonzalez, and Bay City News.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11983768/cecil-williams-legendary-pastor-of-glide-church-dies-at-94","authors":["237"],"categories":["news_8"],"tags":["news_29728","news_33981","news_856","news_3181"],"featImg":"news_11983781","label":"news"},"news_11983846":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11983846","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11983846","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"state-prisons-offset-new-inmate-wage-hikes-by-cutting-hours-for-some-workers","title":"State Prisons Offset New Inmate Wage Hikes by Cutting Hours for Some Workers","publishDate":1713909559,"format":"standard","headTitle":"State Prisons Offset New Inmate Wage Hikes by Cutting Hours for Some Workers | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>California prison officials recently boosted wages for tens of thousands of incarcerated workers. Most, however, will still make less than $1 per hour, and many may not see an increase in total earnings because their hours will be cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pay rates now generally range from $0.16 to $0.74 per hour, depending on skill levels, double the previous decades-old rate, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/regulations/wp-content/uploads/sites/171/2024/04/Inmate-Pay_Approval.pdf\">new regulations\u003c/a> that went into effect on April 16.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The increase is intended to incentivize incarcerated people to take jobs for their own rehabilitation, said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which also eliminated all unpaid job assignments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“New wages will also help workers meet restitution payments for crime victims and save more money in preparation for release,” Tessa Outhyse, a CDCR spokesperson, said in a statement. “In addition to a paycheck, work assignments build technical and social skills, instill accountability and responsibility, and prepare incarcerated people for careers after release.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 39,000 incarcerated people have job assignments in state prisons, doing everything from construction and maintenance to custodial and food services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 1,200 incarcerated firefighters, who are on a separate pay scale, will also now make anywhere from $5.80 to $10.24 a day, a significant increase over the previous daily range of $2.90 to $5.13. Cal Fire also pays an additional $1 per hour for crews battling active fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"more on California prisons\" tag=\"cdcr\"]However, an overall pay increase may not materialize for many incarcerated workers. Outhyse confirmed that as CDCR boosts wages, it also plans to reduce up to three-quarters of its full-time job offerings to half-time — although it said it is “not conducting a wholesale reduction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“CDCR is exploring the introduction of some flexibility in this area to accommodate institution budget requirements as well as the possibility of increasing inmates’ flexibility to participate in rehabilitative program assignments,” the agency wrote in response to public comment concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prisoner rights advocates \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11967728/california-prison-officials-aim-to-raise-hourly-minimum-wage-to-at-least-16-cents\">pushed for a much higher pay increase\u003c/a>, one closer to California’s minimum wage of $16 an hour, without reductions in full-time jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jacob Hutt, an attorney with the Prison Law Office, said the new wages are not setting up people in custody to succeed when released.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By paying people a slave wage right now, they are all but ensuring that people are going to end up in poverty once they leave custody,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, CDCR often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/family-resources/send-money/\">deducts up to 55%\u003c/a> of an incarcerated workers’ wages for administrative costs and restitution fees for crime victims, Hutt added, further reducing their net pay and ability to purchase canteen items.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even when you don’t consider the fact that so many of these workers are actually not going to receive any pay increase because they’re being forced from full-time to half-time, the minimum pay raise is just so ridiculously low,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Starting this month, pay rates will now generally range from $0.16 to $0.74 per hour, double the previous decades-old rate. But many full-time jobs will be cut to half-time.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713910120,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":15,"wordCount":503},"headData":{"title":"State Prisons Offset New Inmate Wage Hikes by Cutting Hours for Some Workers | KQED","description":"Starting this month, pay rates will now generally range from $0.16 to $0.74 per hour, double the previous decades-old rate. But many full-time jobs will be cut to half-time.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"State Prisons Offset New Inmate Wage Hikes by Cutting Hours for Some Workers","datePublished":"2024-04-23T21:59:19.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-23T22:08:40.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}}},"sticky":false,"WpOldSlug":"state-prisons-offset-new-inmate-wage-hikes-by-cutting-hours-for-workers","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11983846/state-prisons-offset-new-inmate-wage-hikes-by-cutting-hours-for-some-workers","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California prison officials recently boosted wages for tens of thousands of incarcerated workers. Most, however, will still make less than $1 per hour, and many may not see an increase in total earnings because their hours will be cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pay rates now generally range from $0.16 to $0.74 per hour, depending on skill levels, double the previous decades-old rate, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/regulations/wp-content/uploads/sites/171/2024/04/Inmate-Pay_Approval.pdf\">new regulations\u003c/a> that went into effect on April 16.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The increase is intended to incentivize incarcerated people to take jobs for their own rehabilitation, said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which also eliminated all unpaid job assignments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“New wages will also help workers meet restitution payments for crime victims and save more money in preparation for release,” Tessa Outhyse, a CDCR spokesperson, said in a statement. “In addition to a paycheck, work assignments build technical and social skills, instill accountability and responsibility, and prepare incarcerated people for careers after release.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 39,000 incarcerated people have job assignments in state prisons, doing everything from construction and maintenance to custodial and food services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 1,200 incarcerated firefighters, who are on a separate pay scale, will also now make anywhere from $5.80 to $10.24 a day, a significant increase over the previous daily range of $2.90 to $5.13. Cal Fire also pays an additional $1 per hour for crews battling active fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"more on California prisons ","tag":"cdcr"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>However, an overall pay increase may not materialize for many incarcerated workers. Outhyse confirmed that as CDCR boosts wages, it also plans to reduce up to three-quarters of its full-time job offerings to half-time — although it said it is “not conducting a wholesale reduction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“CDCR is exploring the introduction of some flexibility in this area to accommodate institution budget requirements as well as the possibility of increasing inmates’ flexibility to participate in rehabilitative program assignments,” the agency wrote in response to public comment concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prisoner rights advocates \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11967728/california-prison-officials-aim-to-raise-hourly-minimum-wage-to-at-least-16-cents\">pushed for a much higher pay increase\u003c/a>, one closer to California’s minimum wage of $16 an hour, without reductions in full-time jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jacob Hutt, an attorney with the Prison Law Office, said the new wages are not setting up people in custody to succeed when released.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By paying people a slave wage right now, they are all but ensuring that people are going to end up in poverty once they leave custody,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, CDCR often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/family-resources/send-money/\">deducts up to 55%\u003c/a> of an incarcerated workers’ wages for administrative costs and restitution fees for crime victims, Hutt added, further reducing their net pay and ability to purchase canteen items.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even when you don’t consider the fact that so many of these workers are actually not going to receive any pay increase because they’re being forced from full-time to half-time, the minimum pay raise is just so ridiculously low,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11983846/state-prisons-offset-new-inmate-wage-hikes-by-cutting-hours-for-some-workers","authors":["8659"],"categories":["news_8"],"tags":["news_26658","news_616","news_1629","news_17725","news_27626"],"featImg":"news_11983401","label":"news"},"news_11983705":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11983705","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11983705","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"allegations-of-prosecutorial-bias-spark-review-of-death-penalty-convictions-in-alameda-county","title":"Allegations of Prosecutorial Bias Spark Review of Death Penalty Convictions in Alameda County","publishDate":1713820161,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Allegations of Prosecutorial Bias Spark Review of Death Penalty Convictions in Alameda County | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced Monday that a federal judge has directed her office to review all death penalty convictions for signs of prosecutorial misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The directive from Judge Vince Chhabria of the U.S. District Court of Northern California comes after evidence indicating Alameda County prosecutors may have excluded Black and Jewish jurors was found in the case of Ernest Dykes, who sits on death row.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The discovery of notes highlighting the race and ethnicity of potential jurors in Dykes’ case has led to the latest allegation that prosecutors systematically prevented Black and Jewish residents from serving on death penalty juries in the 1980s and 1990s. The rejection was based on the belief that Black and Jewish jurors were more likely to oppose the death penalty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These notes — especially when considered in conjunction with evidence presented in other cases — constitutes strong evidence that, in prior decades, prosecutors from the [Alameda County District Attorney’s office] were engaged in a pattern of serious misconduct, automatically excluding Jewish and African American jurors in death penalty cases,” Judge Chhabria, who will oversee Alameda County’s review, wrote in a Monday court order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The misconduct allegations in the county were the subject of a state Supreme Court hearing in 2005. State and federal law bars prosecutors from removing jurors based on race or ethnicity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983717\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/image-4-1.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/image-4-1.png\" alt=\"A screenshot of a court document.\" width=\"600\" height=\"545\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/image-4-1.png 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/image-4-1-160x145.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria lifted his order barring the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office from disclosing records of alleged prosecutorial misconduct in death penalty cases on April 22. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the U.S. District Court of Northern California)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Judge Chhabria is very much aware the District Court has reversed a number of convictions based on similar evidence,” Price said. “For too long, prosecutors have not been held to a high standard and have not had accountability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dykes was convicted in 1995 for the murder of 9-year-old Lance Clark and the attempted murder of his grandmother, Bernice Clark, during a robbery at an East Oakland apartment complex. An appeal of his sentence is currently before Judge Chhabria.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, there are currently 37 people on death row who were convicted in Alameda County, including Dykes. Price’s office told KQED it is reviewing 35 cases. The review could lead to resentencing or retrials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983714\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 873px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713819445665.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11983714 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713820027956.png\" alt=\"A screenshot image of a handwritten note.\" width=\"873\" height=\"522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713820027956.png 873w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713820027956-800x478.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713820027956-160x96.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 873px) 100vw, 873px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Alameda County District Attorney says the recently discovered 1995 prosecutor’s voir dire notes show a disdain for Black women and a belief they won’t vote for a death sentence. No Black women were selected as jurors in the 1995 trial. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alameda County District Attorney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Price said one of her deputies found handwritten notes about potential jurors while reviewing Dykes’ case file at the request of Judge Chhabria. Price’s office shared some of these notes with KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In one example concerning a Black female juror, an unnamed prosecutor wrote, “Says race is no issue, but I don’t believe her.” Another note described a different Black female juror as “short, fat, troll,” and that she “seemed put out my Q’s about the D/P — tried to avoid giving direct answer [sic] a lot of ‘I don’t knows’ — don’t believe she could vote D/P.” The unnamed prosecutor, apparently, used “Q’s” as an abbreviation for questions and “D/P” for the death penalty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983715\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 684px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.56.13-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983715\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.56.13-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"684\" height=\"510\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.56.13-PM.png 684w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.56.13-PM-160x119.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A deputy district attorney in Alameda County found notes from a 1995 trial that show prosecutors highlighting a prospective juror’s Jewish identity. No Jewish jurors were selected to serve as jurors in the trial. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alameda County District Attorney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other notes appear to document whether the author believed prospective jurors were Jewish, writing at the top of a juror questionnaire, “Jew? Yes.” In notes about another juror, “Banker. Jew?” is followed by “Nice guy — thoughtful but never a strong DP leader — Jewish background.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Colton Carmine, a former deputy district attorney, was the lead prosecutor in Dykes’ trial. Carmine was assisted in jury selection by former Deputy District Attorney Morris Jacobson, now an Alameda County Superior Court judge. According to Price, it is not clear if the handwriting in the case file belongs to Carmine, Jacobson or someone else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No Black or Jewish jurors heard Dykes’ case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carmine could not be reached for comment. Jacobson did not immediately respond to KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The notes appear to indicate a disdain for Black women,” Price said. “The fact that they were singled out in the way in which they are in the notes, and ways that other jurors were not, is very telling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for Dykes, who is at the California Health Care Facility, a state prison for incarcerated patients with protracted medical needs, hope the review creates an opportunity to unearth and address a decadeslong problem.[aside postID=\"news_11980987,news_11983091\" label=\"Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been there for 20 years, and it keeps coming up in cases,” said Brian Pomerantz, who represents Dykes as well as two other people on death row after being convicted in Alameda County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A review of 26 juries conducted by defense attorney Lawrence Gibbs, in conjunction with attorneys for Habeas Corpus Resource Center, found that in death penalty cases between 1984 and 1994, Alameda prosecutors removed every single juror who identified themselves as Jewish and nearly 90% of jurors with apparent Jewish surnames as long as they still had peremptory strikes available to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evidence of systematic removal of Black female and Jewish jurors has led to at least three people convicted in Alameda County being resentenced and is at issue in at least three pending Alameda death penalty appeals, including Dykes’. The allegation was the focus of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-may-19-me-jewish19-story.html\">2005 state Supreme Court hearing\u003c/a> in which Carmine testified that prosecutors were trained to exclude Jewish jurors. The Supreme Court rejected misconduct claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This should not be the legacy of this office,” Price told KQED. “The prosecutors who participated in this practice — if we determine that they did, in fact, have this practice — undermined the conviction integrity of every one of these cases, and now the victims, the witnesses, and the defendants have to bear the brunt of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The review began a month ago. Price said her office has begun outreach to the survivors and victims of crimes that resulted in death penalty sentences. Her office also created a hotline for people with questions about the review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s outrageous. When you have this kind of misconduct, it impacts them first and foremost because they have been misled,” Price said. “We have to be mindful of the impact that this has on them, and address their needs as well as balancing the right of every defendant to a fair trial.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a moratorium on death sentences. Earlier this month, Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen announced he would \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-04/santa-clara-county-da-death-penalty-cases\">resentence all 15 people with death row convictions in the county\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In statewide referendums in 2012 and 2016, approximately 60% of Alameda County residents voted in favor of ending the state’s death penalty. The propositions failed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, a group of legal advocates led by the Office of the State Public Defender \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-death-penalty-lawsuit-19392576.php\">asked the state Supreme Court\u003c/a> to “bar the prosecution, imposition and execution of death sentences” because the death penalty is disproportionately applied to people of color in California. According to \u003ca href=\"https://statecourtreport.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/california-state-public-defender-petition-for-stays-of-execution.pdf\">their court filings\u003c/a>, Black defendants are roughly nine times more likely to be sentenced to death than defendants of all other races, in part because of the exclusion of people of color from juries, they argued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"http://www.clrc.ca.gov/CRPC/Pub/Reports/CRPC_DPR.pdf\">2021 report\u003c/a> by the Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code found that between 2010-2020 Alameda juries sent three people to death row. All three are Black.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Price said her office plans to review each case separately. The review may be expanded to include other types of convictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will follow the string or the trail wherever it leads,” Price told KQED. “We will not cover this up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Alameda County District Attorney created a hotline for victims and survivors impacted by death penalty cases. The office can be reached by phone at 510-208-9555 or by email at shawn.mitchell@acgov.org.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The discovery of notes highlighting the race and ethnicity of potential jurors led to the latest allegation that prosecutors prevented Black and Jewish residents from serving on death penalty juries.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713900376,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":31,"wordCount":1447},"headData":{"title":"Allegations of Prosecutorial Bias Spark Review of Death Penalty Convictions in Alameda County | KQED","description":"The discovery of notes highlighting the race and ethnicity of potential jurors led to the latest allegation that prosecutors prevented Black and Jewish residents from serving on death penalty juries.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Allegations of Prosecutorial Bias Spark Review of Death Penalty Convictions in Alameda County","datePublished":"2024-04-22T21:09:21.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-23T19:26:16.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}}},"sticky":false,"excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11983705/allegations-of-prosecutorial-bias-spark-review-of-death-penalty-convictions-in-alameda-county","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced Monday that a federal judge has directed her office to review all death penalty convictions for signs of prosecutorial misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The directive from Judge Vince Chhabria of the U.S. District Court of Northern California comes after evidence indicating Alameda County prosecutors may have excluded Black and Jewish jurors was found in the case of Ernest Dykes, who sits on death row.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The discovery of notes highlighting the race and ethnicity of potential jurors in Dykes’ case has led to the latest allegation that prosecutors systematically prevented Black and Jewish residents from serving on death penalty juries in the 1980s and 1990s. The rejection was based on the belief that Black and Jewish jurors were more likely to oppose the death penalty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These notes — especially when considered in conjunction with evidence presented in other cases — constitutes strong evidence that, in prior decades, prosecutors from the [Alameda County District Attorney’s office] were engaged in a pattern of serious misconduct, automatically excluding Jewish and African American jurors in death penalty cases,” Judge Chhabria, who will oversee Alameda County’s review, wrote in a Monday court order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The misconduct allegations in the county were the subject of a state Supreme Court hearing in 2005. State and federal law bars prosecutors from removing jurors based on race or ethnicity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983717\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/image-4-1.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/image-4-1.png\" alt=\"A screenshot of a court document.\" width=\"600\" height=\"545\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/image-4-1.png 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/image-4-1-160x145.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria lifted his order barring the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office from disclosing records of alleged prosecutorial misconduct in death penalty cases on April 22. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the U.S. District Court of Northern California)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Judge Chhabria is very much aware the District Court has reversed a number of convictions based on similar evidence,” Price said. “For too long, prosecutors have not been held to a high standard and have not had accountability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dykes was convicted in 1995 for the murder of 9-year-old Lance Clark and the attempted murder of his grandmother, Bernice Clark, during a robbery at an East Oakland apartment complex. An appeal of his sentence is currently before Judge Chhabria.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, there are currently 37 people on death row who were convicted in Alameda County, including Dykes. Price’s office told KQED it is reviewing 35 cases. The review could lead to resentencing or retrials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983714\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 873px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713819445665.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11983714 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713820027956.png\" alt=\"A screenshot image of a handwritten note.\" width=\"873\" height=\"522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713820027956.png 873w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713820027956-800x478.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.55.58-PM-e1713820027956-160x96.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 873px) 100vw, 873px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Alameda County District Attorney says the recently discovered 1995 prosecutor’s voir dire notes show a disdain for Black women and a belief they won’t vote for a death sentence. No Black women were selected as jurors in the 1995 trial. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alameda County District Attorney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Price said one of her deputies found handwritten notes about potential jurors while reviewing Dykes’ case file at the request of Judge Chhabria. Price’s office shared some of these notes with KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In one example concerning a Black female juror, an unnamed prosecutor wrote, “Says race is no issue, but I don’t believe her.” Another note described a different Black female juror as “short, fat, troll,” and that she “seemed put out my Q’s about the D/P — tried to avoid giving direct answer [sic] a lot of ‘I don’t knows’ — don’t believe she could vote D/P.” The unnamed prosecutor, apparently, used “Q’s” as an abbreviation for questions and “D/P” for the death penalty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983715\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 684px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.56.13-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983715\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.56.13-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"684\" height=\"510\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.56.13-PM.png 684w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-22-at-1.56.13-PM-160x119.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A deputy district attorney in Alameda County found notes from a 1995 trial that show prosecutors highlighting a prospective juror’s Jewish identity. No Jewish jurors were selected to serve as jurors in the trial. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alameda County District Attorney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other notes appear to document whether the author believed prospective jurors were Jewish, writing at the top of a juror questionnaire, “Jew? Yes.” In notes about another juror, “Banker. Jew?” is followed by “Nice guy — thoughtful but never a strong DP leader — Jewish background.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Colton Carmine, a former deputy district attorney, was the lead prosecutor in Dykes’ trial. Carmine was assisted in jury selection by former Deputy District Attorney Morris Jacobson, now an Alameda County Superior Court judge. According to Price, it is not clear if the handwriting in the case file belongs to Carmine, Jacobson or someone else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No Black or Jewish jurors heard Dykes’ case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carmine could not be reached for comment. Jacobson did not immediately respond to KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The notes appear to indicate a disdain for Black women,” Price said. “The fact that they were singled out in the way in which they are in the notes, and ways that other jurors were not, is very telling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for Dykes, who is at the California Health Care Facility, a state prison for incarcerated patients with protracted medical needs, hope the review creates an opportunity to unearth and address a decadeslong problem.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11980987,news_11983091","label":"Related Stories "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been there for 20 years, and it keeps coming up in cases,” said Brian Pomerantz, who represents Dykes as well as two other people on death row after being convicted in Alameda County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A review of 26 juries conducted by defense attorney Lawrence Gibbs, in conjunction with attorneys for Habeas Corpus Resource Center, found that in death penalty cases between 1984 and 1994, Alameda prosecutors removed every single juror who identified themselves as Jewish and nearly 90% of jurors with apparent Jewish surnames as long as they still had peremptory strikes available to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evidence of systematic removal of Black female and Jewish jurors has led to at least three people convicted in Alameda County being resentenced and is at issue in at least three pending Alameda death penalty appeals, including Dykes’. The allegation was the focus of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-may-19-me-jewish19-story.html\">2005 state Supreme Court hearing\u003c/a> in which Carmine testified that prosecutors were trained to exclude Jewish jurors. The Supreme Court rejected misconduct claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This should not be the legacy of this office,” Price told KQED. “The prosecutors who participated in this practice — if we determine that they did, in fact, have this practice — undermined the conviction integrity of every one of these cases, and now the victims, the witnesses, and the defendants have to bear the brunt of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The review began a month ago. Price said her office has begun outreach to the survivors and victims of crimes that resulted in death penalty sentences. Her office also created a hotline for people with questions about the review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s outrageous. When you have this kind of misconduct, it impacts them first and foremost because they have been misled,” Price said. “We have to be mindful of the impact that this has on them, and address their needs as well as balancing the right of every defendant to a fair trial.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a moratorium on death sentences. Earlier this month, Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen announced he would \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-04/santa-clara-county-da-death-penalty-cases\">resentence all 15 people with death row convictions in the county\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In statewide referendums in 2012 and 2016, approximately 60% of Alameda County residents voted in favor of ending the state’s death penalty. The propositions failed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, a group of legal advocates led by the Office of the State Public Defender \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-death-penalty-lawsuit-19392576.php\">asked the state Supreme Court\u003c/a> to “bar the prosecution, imposition and execution of death sentences” because the death penalty is disproportionately applied to people of color in California. According to \u003ca href=\"https://statecourtreport.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/california-state-public-defender-petition-for-stays-of-execution.pdf\">their court filings\u003c/a>, Black defendants are roughly nine times more likely to be sentenced to death than defendants of all other races, in part because of the exclusion of people of color from juries, they argued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"http://www.clrc.ca.gov/CRPC/Pub/Reports/CRPC_DPR.pdf\">2021 report\u003c/a> by the Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code found that between 2010-2020 Alameda juries sent three people to death row. All three are Black.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Price said her office plans to review each case separately. The review may be expanded to include other types of convictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will follow the string or the trail wherever it leads,” Price told KQED. “We will not cover this up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Alameda County District Attorney created a hotline for victims and survivors impacted by death penalty cases. The office can be reached by phone at 510-208-9555 or by email at shawn.mitchell@acgov.org.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11983705/allegations-of-prosecutorial-bias-spark-review-of-death-penalty-convictions-in-alameda-county","authors":["11772"],"categories":["news_6188","news_8"],"tags":["news_21126","news_23318","news_18282","news_27626","news_20310","news_24461","news_25944"],"featImg":"news_11983711","label":"news"},"news_11983498":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11983498","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11983498","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"oak-name-change","title":"Why Renaming Oakland's Airport Is a Big Deal","publishDate":1713780047,"format":"audio","headTitle":"Why Renaming Oakland’s Airport Is a Big Deal | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland officials are moving ahead with a plan to rename the city’s airport \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Residents, business groups, and airlines all have a lot to say about it, and San Francisco has also filed a lawsuit to try and stop the renaming from happening. The Oaklandside’s Eli Wolfe joins us to talk about why the name change feels existential. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Editor’s note: Oakland International Airport is a financial supporter of KQED. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"card card--enclosed grey\">\n\u003cp id=\"embed-code\" class=\"inconsolata\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC6241795424&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and welcome to the Bay. Local news to keep you rooted. Oakland plans to change Oakland International airports name to the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The Port of Oakland, which owns the airport, wants more travelers to see Oakland as a main travel hub when they come to the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>This isn’t just a rebrand. This is really trying to make a play to make Oakland more relevant, both in the Bay, but I mean around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>But there are a bunch of reasons why different groups are not down for this change. And last Thursday, San Francisco sued to try and stop the renaming from happening. Today, the Oakland side’s Eli Wolfe: explains why renaming o k is existential. Quick note before we start. The Port of Oakland is a financial supporter of KQED. Financial supporters have no input on new stories about them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>So this discussion has been going on at least since last summer. The airport put out a survey to residents in the East Bay, basically trying to gauge their comfort level with a name change that would better reflect the airport’s proximity to the San Francisco Bay. But they didn’t really give much of a hint as to what the specific name would look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>That only really came out a couple weeks ago, when the port announced that it was going to be meeting to give preliminary approval to a new name change, with San Francisco at the head of the title to the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. Unless something changes in the next couple of weeks, that is going to likely be the name for Oakland Airport going forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Well, why change the name at all? Like, what is the problem? The Port Commission is trying to solve by changing the name of the airport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>So the problem basically boils down to this. The port claims that people just don’t know where Oakland is located. That people don’t realize that Oakland is very close to San Francisco, which is where a lot of fliers want to go. The port is tried for many years to play up Oakland’s proximity to San Francisco and the rest of the Bay and its marketing, but it hasn’t really worked out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>And you can see that with the flights from 2008 to 2024, the port attracted 54 new direct flight routes, but lost 45. So the port officials basically say this is an indicator that when people are traveling to San Francisco, Oakland International just doesn’t really show up as an option for them. And so carriers have less incentive to fly into Oakland. The port ‘s executive director, Danny Wan, has actually called that the Achilles heel of the airport’s marketing strategy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Danny Wan: \u003c/strong>As much as we’ve done, we brought these new destinations come to Oakland and yet we lose them because partly because of a lack of geographic identification. This is to accurately bring Oakland and okay to the forefront of where we are on the San Francisco Bay. Instead of being the background of the Bay area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>The supporters mainly consist of obviously the Port Commission and the airport, but also the airlines that use Oakland are very enthusiastic about this. They think it’s going to allow them to do more business here. You also see a lot of support from East Bay tourism and business associations. They have every incentive to want more people to fly to Oakland, because those people are more likely to spend their dollars in Oakland and other cities in the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>And obviously, the Port Commissioners themselves are very enthusiastic about this, and they claim that there’s widespread support among Oakland residents and East Bay residents. There were a couple surveys that the port released that found that most respondents that they talked to were comfortable with the idea of a name change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Danny Wan: \u003c/strong>And so this is about being pro Oakland, bringing that necessary flights and people to Oakland as well as the East Bay Bay region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Coming up, the arguments against the renaming and why the most vocal opponents are suing over it. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>What about the opposition?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>There’s a few different groups. First off, San Francisco does not like this. Airport officials have said that this is going to confuse passengers, especially people who don’t read or speak English. They kind of have painted scenarios where people might fly into Oakland thinking that they are landing in San Francisco. And one of the other opponents of the name change is San Mateo County, which of course actually is the place where SFO is located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>San Francisco tourism and business associations also really not big fans of this. There are also local communities that are not fans of this. The Oakland NAACP has come out against this, saying that, you know, this is erasure of Oakland’s history and culture. Local environmental groups are also not fans of this, because this will theoretically lead to more air travel to Oakland, which means more air pollution that will impact communities in East Oakland, especially, that have been disproportionately affected by air pollution and other environmental issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>There’s a coalition of about 75 environmental groups called Stop Oak Expansion. They are focused on the name change, partly because they don’t want to see more passengers coming into Oakland, but also because they feel like this sort of exposes that the airport is trying to justify a big expansion project that has been planned for a couple of years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Going back to in San Francisco. Are they basically concerned that okay is trying to steal its thunder?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>Yeah. And the city of San Francisco is prepared to take some drastic steps here. They they actually sued the city. The city’s argument is basically that by putting San Francisco in Oakland Airport’s title, they are infringing on the trademark of San Francisco’s airport. They do cite, I think, one example in the suit of a case where the new name for Oakland Airport has already showed up for an international carrier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>What they keep talking about is the idea that this is going to be misleading or confusing to people. But as you know, people have pointed out, I mean, there’s a lot of cities around the world that have multiple airports that have similar names. I think London has something like, I don’t know, 5 or 6 different airports that all start with London.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>So people question whether there’s actually really going to be confusion there. And I think that some folks believe that what’s actually happening is this will make Oakland potentially more competitive to San Francisco. So airport officials in San Francisco and business leaders, they have a real market incentive to not see this go through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>What responses have you heard from readers, especially in Oakland, about the name change?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>People are mixed on it. Some folks have taken kind of a practical stance, sort of like aligning with the port, saying this is necessary. They also were citing the fact that Oakland is facing a massive budget deficit this year again. They really want to see tourism dollars flow through the region so that the city can afford to pay for services that people rely on. But, you know, people also are upset about this. And harkening back to what I was mentioning earlier about what the Oakland NAACP has said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>They see it as erasure of the city. Some folks. On Reddit, you saw that there were a number of folks who are not fans of this idea and were asking, why can’t you do something like a headline that says Oakland San Francisco Airport or Oakland Golden Gate International? Why not highlight something unique to Oakland that is eye catching, like call it E-40 international? I don’t know if that would ever really fly with the port, but people are bringing up interesting ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>How likely do you think the name change is actually going to go through?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>I think it’s likely the Port commissioners voted unanimously in approval of this. If you listen back to the, April 11th meeting where they granted preliminary approval, the commissioners were unanimous in their support, and they were incredibly enthusiastic about it. Almost all of them shared stories about how convenient it is to travel through Oakland Airport, and how much they hate having to fly through San Francisco Airport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>They did allow this sort of several week period where they’re going to continue collecting feedback from members of the community, or at least receiving feedback if anyone wants to contact them. But I would say that the safe bet is that they are going to approve this name change, even with the pending lawsuit in front of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Yeah, I know you asked the Port of Oakland for comment on that lawsuit, and their response was pretty interesting. They they wrote to you in part, quote, we will vigorously defend our right to claim our spot on the San Francisco Bay. We are standing up for Oakland and our East Bay community. I mean, kind of dramatic, I got to say like a pretty strong response. I’m curious what you make of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>Yeah. I mean, I think that this is really for them. This is a big step for not just Oakland but the East Bay. I should note Oakland relies heavily on business travel and that hasn’t recovered since the pandemic. So they really need something to work out here where they will get more travel coming through here. This isn’t just a rebrand. This is really trying to make a play to make Oakland more relevant, both in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>But I mean around the world. They are quite literally trying to put Oakland on the map in a way that makes it relevant to people, makes it attractive to people. So the stakes are really high here, even though this boils down to a name change, which I think some people think might feel a little silly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Well, I thank you so much for chatting with us about this and for taking the time. I really appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>Yeah. Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>That was Eli Wolfe, City Hall reporter for the Oaklandside. This 18 minute conversation with Eli was cut down and edited by producer Maria Esquinca. I scored this episode and added all the tape. Our senior editor is Alan Montecillo. Music courtesy of Universal Production Music and First Call Music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>The Bay is a listener supported production of KQED Public Media in San Francisco. You can support our work by becoming a KQED Sustaining Member, which you can do by going to KQED.org/Donate. And I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Thanks so much for listening. Talk to you next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"In this episode of The Bay, we talk about the controversial effort to rename Oakland's airport.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713905553,"stats":{"hasAudio":true,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":40,"wordCount":2071},"headData":{"title":"Why Renaming Oakland's Airport Is a Big Deal | KQED","description":"In this episode of The Bay, we talk about the controversial effort to rename Oakland's airport.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Why Renaming Oakland's Airport Is a Big Deal","datePublished":"2024-04-22T10:00:47.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-23T20:52:33.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}}},"source":"The Bay","audioUrl":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/chrt.fm/track/G6C7C3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC6241795424.mp3?updated=1713557365","sticky":false,"excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11983498/oak-name-change","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland officials are moving ahead with a plan to rename the city’s airport \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Residents, business groups, and airlines all have a lot to say about it, and San Francisco has also filed a lawsuit to try and stop the renaming from happening. The Oaklandside’s Eli Wolfe joins us to talk about why the name change feels existential. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Editor’s note: Oakland International Airport is a financial supporter of KQED. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"card card--enclosed grey\">\n\u003cp id=\"embed-code\" class=\"inconsolata\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC6241795424&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and welcome to the Bay. Local news to keep you rooted. Oakland plans to change Oakland International airports name to the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The Port of Oakland, which owns the airport, wants more travelers to see Oakland as a main travel hub when they come to the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>This isn’t just a rebrand. This is really trying to make a play to make Oakland more relevant, both in the Bay, but I mean around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>But there are a bunch of reasons why different groups are not down for this change. And last Thursday, San Francisco sued to try and stop the renaming from happening. Today, the Oakland side’s Eli Wolfe: explains why renaming o k is existential. Quick note before we start. The Port of Oakland is a financial supporter of KQED. Financial supporters have no input on new stories about them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>So this discussion has been going on at least since last summer. The airport put out a survey to residents in the East Bay, basically trying to gauge their comfort level with a name change that would better reflect the airport’s proximity to the San Francisco Bay. But they didn’t really give much of a hint as to what the specific name would look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>That only really came out a couple weeks ago, when the port announced that it was going to be meeting to give preliminary approval to a new name change, with San Francisco at the head of the title to the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. Unless something changes in the next couple of weeks, that is going to likely be the name for Oakland Airport going forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Well, why change the name at all? Like, what is the problem? The Port Commission is trying to solve by changing the name of the airport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>So the problem basically boils down to this. The port claims that people just don’t know where Oakland is located. That people don’t realize that Oakland is very close to San Francisco, which is where a lot of fliers want to go. The port is tried for many years to play up Oakland’s proximity to San Francisco and the rest of the Bay and its marketing, but it hasn’t really worked out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>And you can see that with the flights from 2008 to 2024, the port attracted 54 new direct flight routes, but lost 45. So the port officials basically say this is an indicator that when people are traveling to San Francisco, Oakland International just doesn’t really show up as an option for them. And so carriers have less incentive to fly into Oakland. The port ‘s executive director, Danny Wan, has actually called that the Achilles heel of the airport’s marketing strategy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Danny Wan: \u003c/strong>As much as we’ve done, we brought these new destinations come to Oakland and yet we lose them because partly because of a lack of geographic identification. This is to accurately bring Oakland and okay to the forefront of where we are on the San Francisco Bay. Instead of being the background of the Bay area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>The supporters mainly consist of obviously the Port Commission and the airport, but also the airlines that use Oakland are very enthusiastic about this. They think it’s going to allow them to do more business here. You also see a lot of support from East Bay tourism and business associations. They have every incentive to want more people to fly to Oakland, because those people are more likely to spend their dollars in Oakland and other cities in the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>And obviously, the Port Commissioners themselves are very enthusiastic about this, and they claim that there’s widespread support among Oakland residents and East Bay residents. There were a couple surveys that the port released that found that most respondents that they talked to were comfortable with the idea of a name change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Danny Wan: \u003c/strong>And so this is about being pro Oakland, bringing that necessary flights and people to Oakland as well as the East Bay Bay region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Coming up, the arguments against the renaming and why the most vocal opponents are suing over it. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>What about the opposition?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>There’s a few different groups. First off, San Francisco does not like this. Airport officials have said that this is going to confuse passengers, especially people who don’t read or speak English. They kind of have painted scenarios where people might fly into Oakland thinking that they are landing in San Francisco. And one of the other opponents of the name change is San Mateo County, which of course actually is the place where SFO is located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>San Francisco tourism and business associations also really not big fans of this. There are also local communities that are not fans of this. The Oakland NAACP has come out against this, saying that, you know, this is erasure of Oakland’s history and culture. Local environmental groups are also not fans of this, because this will theoretically lead to more air travel to Oakland, which means more air pollution that will impact communities in East Oakland, especially, that have been disproportionately affected by air pollution and other environmental issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>There’s a coalition of about 75 environmental groups called Stop Oak Expansion. They are focused on the name change, partly because they don’t want to see more passengers coming into Oakland, but also because they feel like this sort of exposes that the airport is trying to justify a big expansion project that has been planned for a couple of years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Going back to in San Francisco. Are they basically concerned that okay is trying to steal its thunder?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>Yeah. And the city of San Francisco is prepared to take some drastic steps here. They they actually sued the city. The city’s argument is basically that by putting San Francisco in Oakland Airport’s title, they are infringing on the trademark of San Francisco’s airport. They do cite, I think, one example in the suit of a case where the new name for Oakland Airport has already showed up for an international carrier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>What they keep talking about is the idea that this is going to be misleading or confusing to people. But as you know, people have pointed out, I mean, there’s a lot of cities around the world that have multiple airports that have similar names. I think London has something like, I don’t know, 5 or 6 different airports that all start with London.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>So people question whether there’s actually really going to be confusion there. And I think that some folks believe that what’s actually happening is this will make Oakland potentially more competitive to San Francisco. So airport officials in San Francisco and business leaders, they have a real market incentive to not see this go through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>What responses have you heard from readers, especially in Oakland, about the name change?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>People are mixed on it. Some folks have taken kind of a practical stance, sort of like aligning with the port, saying this is necessary. They also were citing the fact that Oakland is facing a massive budget deficit this year again. They really want to see tourism dollars flow through the region so that the city can afford to pay for services that people rely on. But, you know, people also are upset about this. And harkening back to what I was mentioning earlier about what the Oakland NAACP has said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>They see it as erasure of the city. Some folks. On Reddit, you saw that there were a number of folks who are not fans of this idea and were asking, why can’t you do something like a headline that says Oakland San Francisco Airport or Oakland Golden Gate International? Why not highlight something unique to Oakland that is eye catching, like call it E-40 international? I don’t know if that would ever really fly with the port, but people are bringing up interesting ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>How likely do you think the name change is actually going to go through?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>I think it’s likely the Port commissioners voted unanimously in approval of this. If you listen back to the, April 11th meeting where they granted preliminary approval, the commissioners were unanimous in their support, and they were incredibly enthusiastic about it. Almost all of them shared stories about how convenient it is to travel through Oakland Airport, and how much they hate having to fly through San Francisco Airport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>They did allow this sort of several week period where they’re going to continue collecting feedback from members of the community, or at least receiving feedback if anyone wants to contact them. But I would say that the safe bet is that they are going to approve this name change, even with the pending lawsuit in front of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Yeah, I know you asked the Port of Oakland for comment on that lawsuit, and their response was pretty interesting. They they wrote to you in part, quote, we will vigorously defend our right to claim our spot on the San Francisco Bay. We are standing up for Oakland and our East Bay community. I mean, kind of dramatic, I got to say like a pretty strong response. I’m curious what you make of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>Yeah. I mean, I think that this is really for them. This is a big step for not just Oakland but the East Bay. I should note Oakland relies heavily on business travel and that hasn’t recovered since the pandemic. So they really need something to work out here where they will get more travel coming through here. This isn’t just a rebrand. This is really trying to make a play to make Oakland more relevant, both in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>But I mean around the world. They are quite literally trying to put Oakland on the map in a way that makes it relevant to people, makes it attractive to people. So the stakes are really high here, even though this boils down to a name change, which I think some people think might feel a little silly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Well, I thank you so much for chatting with us about this and for taking the time. I really appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Eli Wolfe: \u003c/strong>Yeah. Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>That was Eli Wolfe, City Hall reporter for the Oaklandside. This 18 minute conversation with Eli was cut down and edited by producer Maria Esquinca. I scored this episode and added all the tape. Our senior editor is Alan Montecillo. Music courtesy of Universal Production Music and First Call Music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>The Bay is a listener supported production of KQED Public Media in San Francisco. You can support our work by becoming a KQED Sustaining Member, which you can do by going to KQED.org/Donate. And I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Thanks so much for listening. Talk to you next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11983498/oak-name-change","authors":["8654","11802","11649"],"categories":["news_8"],"tags":["news_33812","news_33915","news_22598"],"featImg":"news_11982792","label":"source_news_11983498"},"news_11983752":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11983752","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11983752","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"nurses-warn-patient-safety-at-risk-as-ai-use-spreads-in-health-care","title":"Nurses Warn Patient Safety at Risk as AI Use Spreads in Health Care","publishDate":1713832725,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Nurses Warn Patient Safety at Risk as AI Use Spreads in Health Care | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>As the use of artificial intelligence proliferates in the health care industry, Bay Area unionized nurses call for greater transparency and say in how the technologies are deployed to minimize risks to patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a protest on Monday outside of Kaiser Permanente’s San Francisco Medical Center, many in the estimated crowd of about 200 members of the California Nurses Association held red signs that read “Patients are not algorithms” and “Trust nurses, not AI.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All health care corporations need to make sure that the technology is tested, it’s valid, and it’s not harmful to patients,” said Michelle Gutierrez Vo, a president at CNA, representing 24,000 nurses at Kaiser Permanente. “And before they deploy it, they need to sit down with nurses so that the nurses can review and make sure it’s congruent with patient safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing sun glasses and a red shirt holds a microphone in front of people while she stands behind a podium with a red sign in the background.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Gutierrez Vo, a registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fremont and a California Nurses Association president, speaks during a rally alongside fellow nurses from across California at Kaiser Permanente on Geary Blvd in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to advocate for patient safety in the face of artificial intelligence technology. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gutierrez Vo and other nurses worry that without proper oversight and accountability, health care employers will use AI to replace nurses and other medical professionals for profit, to the detriment of patient care. The nurses are calling for health care organizations to hit pause on the rollout of new AI technologies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This comes as state and federal regulators race to catch up with the explosive growth of generative AI tools, which experts say also have great potential to improve health care delivery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11976097,news_11980719,news_11982218\" label=\"Related Stories\"]Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest employers in San Francisco, Alameda and other Bay Area counties, has been an early adopter of AI. Company officials \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/news/fostering-responsible-ai-in-health-care\">have said\u003c/a> they rigorously test the tools they use for safety, accuracy and equity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our physicians and care teams are always at the center of decision-making with our patients,” a Kaiser Permanente statement said in response to a KQED request for comment. “We believe that AI may be able to help our physicians and employees and enhance our members’ experience. As an organization dedicated to inclusiveness and health equity, we ensure the results from AI tools are correct and unbiased; AI does not replace human assessment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One program in use at 21 Kaiser hospitals in Northern California is the Advance Alert Monitor, which analyzes electronic health data to notify a nursing team when a patient’s health is at risk of serious decline. The program saves about 500 lives per year, according to the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-scaled.jpg\" alt='Many people dressed in scrubs hold red signs that say \"Trust Nurses Not AI\" in the street.' width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nurses from across California rally at Kaiser Permanente on Geary Blvd in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to advocate for patient safety in the face of artificial intelligence technology. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Gutierrez Vo said nurses have flagged problems with the tool, such as producing inaccurate alarms or failing to detect all patients whose health is quickly deteriorating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s just so much buzz right now that this is the future of health care. These health care corporations are using this as a shortcut, as a way to handle patient load. And we’re saying ‘No. You cannot do that without making sure these systems are safe,’” said Gutierrez Vo, a nurse with 25 years of experience at the company’s Fremont Adult Family Medicine clinic. “Our patients are not lab rats.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized some AI-generated services before they go to market, but mostly \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/28/ai-doctors-healthcare-regulation-00124051\">without the comprehensive data\u003c/a> required for new medicines. Last fall, President Joe Biden issued an \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">executive order\u003c/a> on the safe use of AI, which includes a directive to develop policies for AI-enabled technologies in health services that promote “the welfare of patients and workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very good to have open discussions because the technology is moving at such a fast pace, and everyone is at a different level of understanding of what it can do and [what] it is,” said Dr. Ashish Atreja, Chief Information and Digital Health Officer at UC Davis Health. “Many health systems and organizations do have guardrails in place, but perhaps they haven’t been shared that widely. That’s why there’s a knowledge gap.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983727\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983727\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing sun glasses and a red shirt stands in a crowd with red signs in the background.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sandra Larkin listens to speakers alongside fellow nurses from across California during a rally at Kaiser Permanente on Geary Blvd in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to advocate for patient safety in the face of artificial intelligence technology. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>UC Davis Health is part of a \u003ca href=\"https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/uc-davis-health-and-leading-health-systems-launch-valid-ai/2023/10\">collaboration\u003c/a> with other health systems to implement generative and other types of AI with what Atreja referred to as “intentionality” to support their workforce and improve patient care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have this mission that no patient, no clinician, no researcher, no employee gets left behind in getting advantage from the latest technologies,” Atreja said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Robert Pearl, a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate Business School and a former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente), told KQED he agreed with the nurses’ concerns about the use of AI at their workplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Generative AI is a threatening technology but also a positive one. What is the best for the patient? That has to be the number one concern,” said Pearl, author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine,” which he said he co-wrote with the AI system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m optimistic about what it can do for patients,” he said. “I often tell people that generative AI is like the iPhone. It’s not going away.”\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"At a protest in San Francisco, nurses say health care employers must ensure the artificial intelligence tools they use do not harm patients.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713834971,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":19,"wordCount":1003},"headData":{"title":"Nurses Warn Patient Safety at Risk as AI Use Spreads in Health Care | KQED","description":"At a protest in San Francisco, nurses say health care employers must ensure the artificial intelligence tools they use do not harm patients.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Nurses Warn Patient Safety at Risk as AI Use Spreads in Health Care","datePublished":"2024-04-23T00:38:45.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-23T01:16:11.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}}},"sticky":false,"excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11983752/nurses-warn-patient-safety-at-risk-as-ai-use-spreads-in-health-care","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As the use of artificial intelligence proliferates in the health care industry, Bay Area unionized nurses call for greater transparency and say in how the technologies are deployed to minimize risks to patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a protest on Monday outside of Kaiser Permanente’s San Francisco Medical Center, many in the estimated crowd of about 200 members of the California Nurses Association held red signs that read “Patients are not algorithms” and “Trust nurses, not AI.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All health care corporations need to make sure that the technology is tested, it’s valid, and it’s not harmful to patients,” said Michelle Gutierrez Vo, a president at CNA, representing 24,000 nurses at Kaiser Permanente. “And before they deploy it, they need to sit down with nurses so that the nurses can review and make sure it’s congruent with patient safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing sun glasses and a red shirt holds a microphone in front of people while she stands behind a podium with a red sign in the background.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-33-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Gutierrez Vo, a registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fremont and a California Nurses Association president, speaks during a rally alongside fellow nurses from across California at Kaiser Permanente on Geary Blvd in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to advocate for patient safety in the face of artificial intelligence technology. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gutierrez Vo and other nurses worry that without proper oversight and accountability, health care employers will use AI to replace nurses and other medical professionals for profit, to the detriment of patient care. The nurses are calling for health care organizations to hit pause on the rollout of new AI technologies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This comes as state and federal regulators race to catch up with the explosive growth of generative AI tools, which experts say also have great potential to improve health care delivery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11976097,news_11980719,news_11982218","label":"Related Stories "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest employers in San Francisco, Alameda and other Bay Area counties, has been an early adopter of AI. Company officials \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/news/fostering-responsible-ai-in-health-care\">have said\u003c/a> they rigorously test the tools they use for safety, accuracy and equity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our physicians and care teams are always at the center of decision-making with our patients,” a Kaiser Permanente statement said in response to a KQED request for comment. “We believe that AI may be able to help our physicians and employees and enhance our members’ experience. As an organization dedicated to inclusiveness and health equity, we ensure the results from AI tools are correct and unbiased; AI does not replace human assessment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One program in use at 21 Kaiser hospitals in Northern California is the Advance Alert Monitor, which analyzes electronic health data to notify a nursing team when a patient’s health is at risk of serious decline. The program saves about 500 lives per year, according to the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-scaled.jpg\" alt='Many people dressed in scrubs hold red signs that say \"Trust Nurses Not AI\" in the street.' width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-02-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nurses from across California rally at Kaiser Permanente on Geary Blvd in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to advocate for patient safety in the face of artificial intelligence technology. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Gutierrez Vo said nurses have flagged problems with the tool, such as producing inaccurate alarms or failing to detect all patients whose health is quickly deteriorating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s just so much buzz right now that this is the future of health care. These health care corporations are using this as a shortcut, as a way to handle patient load. And we’re saying ‘No. You cannot do that without making sure these systems are safe,’” said Gutierrez Vo, a nurse with 25 years of experience at the company’s Fremont Adult Family Medicine clinic. “Our patients are not lab rats.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized some AI-generated services before they go to market, but mostly \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/28/ai-doctors-healthcare-regulation-00124051\">without the comprehensive data\u003c/a> required for new medicines. Last fall, President Joe Biden issued an \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">executive order\u003c/a> on the safe use of AI, which includes a directive to develop policies for AI-enabled technologies in health services that promote “the welfare of patients and workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very good to have open discussions because the technology is moving at such a fast pace, and everyone is at a different level of understanding of what it can do and [what] it is,” said Dr. Ashish Atreja, Chief Information and Digital Health Officer at UC Davis Health. “Many health systems and organizations do have guardrails in place, but perhaps they haven’t been shared that widely. That’s why there’s a knowledge gap.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983727\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983727\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing sun glasses and a red shirt stands in a crowd with red signs in the background.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-19-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sandra Larkin listens to speakers alongside fellow nurses from across California during a rally at Kaiser Permanente on Geary Blvd in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to advocate for patient safety in the face of artificial intelligence technology. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>UC Davis Health is part of a \u003ca href=\"https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/uc-davis-health-and-leading-health-systems-launch-valid-ai/2023/10\">collaboration\u003c/a> with other health systems to implement generative and other types of AI with what Atreja referred to as “intentionality” to support their workforce and improve patient care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have this mission that no patient, no clinician, no researcher, no employee gets left behind in getting advantage from the latest technologies,” Atreja said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Robert Pearl, a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate Business School and a former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente), told KQED he agreed with the nurses’ concerns about the use of AI at their workplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Generative AI is a threatening technology but also a positive one. What is the best for the patient? That has to be the number one concern,” said Pearl, author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine,” which he said he co-wrote with the AI system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m optimistic about what it can do for patients,” he said. “I often tell people that generative AI is like the iPhone. It’s not going away.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11983752/nurses-warn-patient-safety-at-risk-as-ai-use-spreads-in-health-care","authors":["8659"],"categories":["news_457","news_8","news_248"],"tags":["news_2114","news_28642","news_27626","news_18659","news_421","news_28963","news_30933"],"featImg":"news_11983729","label":"news"},"news_11983671":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11983671","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11983671","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"sf-democratic-partys-support-of-unlimited-housing-could-pressure-mayoral-candidates","title":"SF Democratic Party’s Support of Unlimited Housing Could Pressure Mayoral Candidates","publishDate":1713816005,"format":"standard","headTitle":"SF Democratic Party’s Support of Unlimited Housing Could Pressure Mayoral Candidates | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic Party put itself on record backing the building of unrestricted market-rate housing after a Friday night vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new policy may push candidates running for mayor and the Board of Supervisors to modify their positions on housing if they want the backing of the Democratic County Central Committee or DCCC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In most elections, the DCCC sends mailers to voters with its official stamp of approval for candidates, which can sway a segment of voters. The candidates appearing on party mailers this November will likely have pro-market rate housing views.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Chen, a member of the DCCC and co-author of its housing policy, told KQED he hopes candidates heed the party’s new direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are many candidates who are still movable, who have issue priorities that are not necessarily housing,” Chen said. “This is a chance for candidates to take feedback from the party.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Catch up fast: \u003c/strong>Most of the two dozen moderate Democrats who ran for the DCCC won in the March primary, flipping the board from its previous progressive majority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new housing policy embraces the platform of San Francisco YIMBY, an advocacy group that said building market-rate developments as quickly as possible will help bring down rental prices. Progressive Democrats said market-rate construction is akin to luxury housing that most people can’t afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor London Breed is a vocal supporter of YIMBY policies. The DCCC’s new approach to housing may benefit her when she seeks the party’s endorsement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983682\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11983682\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-800x602.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"602\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-800x602.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-1020x768.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-2048x1542.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-1920x1446.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Democrats on the Democratic County Central Committee at their first meeting since the March primary on April 19. From left to right, Michael Lai, Cedric Akbar, Mike Chen, Lily Ho, Trevor Chandler, Matt Dorsey, Nancy Tung and Marjan Philhour. \u003ccite>(Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Who loses out: \u003c/strong>Some DCCC members may now think twice before backing the mayoral candidacy of Mark Farrell, a former mayor and supervisor. Farrell rankled pro-housing Democrats last month when he said he doesn’t believe San Francisco “needs to upzone every neighborhood” in an \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2024/03/mark-farrells-common-sense/?utm_campaign=SF+Standard+Power+Play&utm_content=p-text&utm_medium=email&utm_source=SF+Standard\">interview with Joe Eskenazi\u003c/a>, Mission Local’s managing editor and columnist, on stage at Manny’s. Upzoning is the process cities use to grant taller housing to be built in an area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other mayoral candidates, like Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who talks about protecting the character of neighborhoods from the construction of tall housing, and Supervisor Ahsha Safai, are unlikely to gain the party’s backing. Safaí lacks the allies on the board to gain an endorsement. It’s unclear if Daniel Lurie, a mayoral candidate and philanthropist, has enough DCCC allies for an endorsement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The opposing view: \u003c/strong>A few progressives remain on the party board, including Peter Gallotta, who successfully got the moderate Democrats to write clauses supporting renters into the new housing policy. “I think it’s important that we reiterate and underscore that our party is also pro-tenant,” Gallotta said. “I do think we need to make sure we’re calling out our support for the protection of rent control in San Francisco, that we support preservation of our existing rent-controlled housing stock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What we’re watching: \u003c/strong>The meeting was the party’s first since moderates flipped the board. The moderates flexed their newfound power by pushing for several new policies. Besides the housing platform, board members voted to approve a resolution backing more police officers for public safety and new bylaws that limit the amount of public comment they’ll listen to in a meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The public safety and housing policies have no actual teeth in changing San Francisco’s operations.[aside postID=news_11983000 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/GettyImages-623874284_qut-1020x705.jpg']The moderate Democrats also voted in Nancy Tung as the new party chair. Tung is a career prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office who ran for DA in 2019 but lost to Chesa Boudin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party also passed a resolution backing the labor community. The policy statement angered Kim Tavaglione, the executive director of the San Francisco Labor Council, a powerful group that unites labor unions across the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tavaglione said the policy lacks basic elements in the state Democratic Party platform, like endorsing specific training language for the building trades, a living wage recommendation and anti-charter school statements that public school teachers back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they don’t appreciate labor’s voice, we don’t have to play with them,” Tavaglione said. “We’re happy to walk away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tavaglione said she would recommend labor unions withhold resources from the DCCC, which would help progressive Democrats in the November election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The move could prompt mayoral and Board of Supervisors candidates to adjust their housing policies to align with the Democratic County Central Committee's stance for endorsement.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713816155,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":19,"wordCount":810},"headData":{"title":"SF Democratic Party’s Support of Unlimited Housing Could Pressure Mayoral Candidates | KQED","description":"The move could prompt mayoral and Board of Supervisors candidates to adjust their housing policies to align with the Democratic County Central Committee's stance for endorsement.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"SF Democratic Party’s Support of Unlimited Housing Could Pressure Mayoral Candidates","datePublished":"2024-04-22T20:00:05.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-22T20:02:35.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}}},"sticky":false,"excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11983671/sf-democratic-partys-support-of-unlimited-housing-could-pressure-mayoral-candidates","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic Party put itself on record backing the building of unrestricted market-rate housing after a Friday night vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new policy may push candidates running for mayor and the Board of Supervisors to modify their positions on housing if they want the backing of the Democratic County Central Committee or DCCC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In most elections, the DCCC sends mailers to voters with its official stamp of approval for candidates, which can sway a segment of voters. The candidates appearing on party mailers this November will likely have pro-market rate housing views.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Chen, a member of the DCCC and co-author of its housing policy, told KQED he hopes candidates heed the party’s new direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are many candidates who are still movable, who have issue priorities that are not necessarily housing,” Chen said. “This is a chance for candidates to take feedback from the party.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Catch up fast: \u003c/strong>Most of the two dozen moderate Democrats who ran for the DCCC won in the March primary, flipping the board from its previous progressive majority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new housing policy embraces the platform of San Francisco YIMBY, an advocacy group that said building market-rate developments as quickly as possible will help bring down rental prices. Progressive Democrats said market-rate construction is akin to luxury housing that most people can’t afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor London Breed is a vocal supporter of YIMBY policies. The DCCC’s new approach to housing may benefit her when she seeks the party’s endorsement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983682\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11983682\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-800x602.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"602\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-800x602.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-1020x768.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-2048x1542.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/1000019369-1920x1446.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Democrats on the Democratic County Central Committee at their first meeting since the March primary on April 19. From left to right, Michael Lai, Cedric Akbar, Mike Chen, Lily Ho, Trevor Chandler, Matt Dorsey, Nancy Tung and Marjan Philhour. \u003ccite>(Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Who loses out: \u003c/strong>Some DCCC members may now think twice before backing the mayoral candidacy of Mark Farrell, a former mayor and supervisor. Farrell rankled pro-housing Democrats last month when he said he doesn’t believe San Francisco “needs to upzone every neighborhood” in an \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2024/03/mark-farrells-common-sense/?utm_campaign=SF+Standard+Power+Play&utm_content=p-text&utm_medium=email&utm_source=SF+Standard\">interview with Joe Eskenazi\u003c/a>, Mission Local’s managing editor and columnist, on stage at Manny’s. Upzoning is the process cities use to grant taller housing to be built in an area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other mayoral candidates, like Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who talks about protecting the character of neighborhoods from the construction of tall housing, and Supervisor Ahsha Safai, are unlikely to gain the party’s backing. Safaí lacks the allies on the board to gain an endorsement. It’s unclear if Daniel Lurie, a mayoral candidate and philanthropist, has enough DCCC allies for an endorsement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The opposing view: \u003c/strong>A few progressives remain on the party board, including Peter Gallotta, who successfully got the moderate Democrats to write clauses supporting renters into the new housing policy. “I think it’s important that we reiterate and underscore that our party is also pro-tenant,” Gallotta said. “I do think we need to make sure we’re calling out our support for the protection of rent control in San Francisco, that we support preservation of our existing rent-controlled housing stock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What we’re watching: \u003c/strong>The meeting was the party’s first since moderates flipped the board. The moderates flexed their newfound power by pushing for several new policies. Besides the housing platform, board members voted to approve a resolution backing more police officers for public safety and new bylaws that limit the amount of public comment they’ll listen to in a meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The public safety and housing policies have no actual teeth in changing San Francisco’s operations.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11983000","hero":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/GettyImages-623874284_qut-1020x705.jpg","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The moderate Democrats also voted in Nancy Tung as the new party chair. Tung is a career prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office who ran for DA in 2019 but lost to Chesa Boudin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party also passed a resolution backing the labor community. The policy statement angered Kim Tavaglione, the executive director of the San Francisco Labor Council, a powerful group that unites labor unions across the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tavaglione said the policy lacks basic elements in the state Democratic Party platform, like endorsing specific training language for the building trades, a living wage recommendation and anti-charter school statements that public school teachers back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they don’t appreciate labor’s voice, we don’t have to play with them,” Tavaglione said. “We’re happy to walk away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tavaglione said she would recommend labor unions withhold resources from the DCCC, which would help progressive Democrats in the November election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11983671/sf-democratic-partys-support-of-unlimited-housing-could-pressure-mayoral-candidates","authors":["11690"],"categories":["news_6266","news_8","news_13"],"tags":["news_195","news_18538","news_20251","news_176","news_1775","news_6931","news_22439","news_17968","news_18536","news_38","news_33960"],"featImg":"news_11983678","label":"news"},"news_11983701":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11983701","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11983701","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"sweeps-kill-bay-area-homeless-advocates-weigh-in-on-pivotal-u-s-supreme-court-case","title":"‘Sweeps Kill’: Bay Area Homeless Advocates Weigh in on Pivotal US Supreme Court Case","publishDate":1713820578,"format":"standard","headTitle":"‘Sweeps Kill’: Bay Area Homeless Advocates Weigh in on Pivotal US Supreme Court Case | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>Around 100 people marched from San Francisco’s federal building to City Hall on Monday, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold lower court rulings on how cities can respond to homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The action came as SCOTUS heard oral arguments in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983492/how-a-pivotal-case-on-homelessness-could-redefine-policies-in-california-and-the-nation\">City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson\u003c/a>. The decision — which is expected by the end of June — is likely to impact whether cities around the country can issue fines and jail people for camping on public property if there isn’t a viable shelter alternative available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re here to stop the illegal pushing and shoving of the homeless,” said LaMonte Ford, who is currently unhoused. “It really hurts to think that your existence is now against the law, so we are all here to assemble against that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"LaMonte Ford, an unhoused resident]‘We’re here to stop the illegal pushing and shoving of the homeless. It really hurts to think that your existence is now against the law, so we are all here to assemble against that.’[/pullquote]Ford previously lived at the Wood Street Commons, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949327/the-end-of-wood-street-inside-the-struggle-for-stability-housing-on-the-margins-of-the-bay-area\">a large encampment in West Oakland\u003c/a> that the city cleared in 2023. He said the community sustained him for years while he could not afford rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It felt like somebody was ripping my mother away from me,” Ford said of the encampment sweep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s all we have. We have to exist in some kind of way,” he added. “Sweeps kill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The High Court is specifically reviewing a lower court’s decision, upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, that bars cities across the Western United States from criminalizing people for sleeping outside if no viable shelter options are available. Doing so, the lower court ruled, would be considered cruel and unusual punishment, violating the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials from across the political map, from Gov. Gavin Newsom to conservative state political leaders, joined in asking the Supreme Court to take up the case and clarify how much authority local leaders have to clear encampments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983692\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983692\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875.jpeg\" alt=\"A woman wrapped in a head scarf and face mask speaks into a microphone.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lisa Gray-Garcia speaks to a crowd outside the Federal Building in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, in support of the rights of unhoused people. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Styer Martínez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After over two and a half hours of argument, the court appeared divided along ideological lines, but the majority of justices indicated they consider local officials to be better equipped than the courts to take on these matters — a sign they may be leaning toward giving Grants Pass and other cities broader authority to regulate homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the liberal justices were deeply skeptical of the constitutionality of the city’s policies, suggesting that it criminalized people for simply being unhoused.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Where do we put them? If every city, every village, every town lacks compassion and passes a law identical to this — where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves not sleeping?” Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked the attorney representing the city of Grants Pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates for the unhoused found reason to be optimistic, pointing out that conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s questions indicated that he believes jailing people can’t solve homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every single time a court has heard this question, they’ve agreed that punishing people for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go is cruel and unusual,” said Jesse Rabinowitz, a spokesperson for the National Homelessness Law Center. “So, we remain hopeful that the Supreme Court will do the right thing and agree with all of the lower courts’ decisions and affirm that everybody, regardless of housing status, is protected by the Constitution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groups like the American Psychiatric Association support that position. In a brief submitted to the court, the medical group wrote, “People with mental illness experiencing homelessness already face various barriers to accessing mental health treatment; incarceration exacerbates these barriers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, opponents of the previous courts’ rulings argue that fines and short jail stints are a reasonable response when someone violates city laws by camping in public spaces.[aside label=\"related coverage\" tag=\"homelessness\"]“Those punishments are neither ‘cruel’ nor ‘unusual’ in any ordinary sense of those words,” attorneys for the city of Grants Pass wrote in a brief. “For centuries, fines and imprisonment have been the default methods of punishing criminal offenses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed have taken a more neutral position. They say that local governments shouldn’t criminalize people for being unhoused but also argue that the Ninth Circuit’s ruling goes too far, stymying cities’ ability to clear sidewalks, parks and other public spaces of tents and serious public health hazards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The courts have tied the hands of state & local government to confront homelessness,” Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1782403865322901922\">said on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday\u003c/a>. “The Supreme Court has an opportunity to strike a balance that allows officials to enforce reasonable limits on public camping while treating folks with compassion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, city workers must first offer shelter to unhoused people before clearing encampments. If someone is not at an encampment during a sweep, the city must “bag-and-tag” that person’s items to give them a chance to pick them up later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Coalition on Homelessness \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11960279/where-things-stand-in-san-franciscos-legal-battle-over-street-encampments\">sued San Francisco in 2023\u003c/a> for failing to adhere to those rules. That case is still pending, but any further legal action is paused until the Supreme Court rules on the Grant Pass case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We gathered a mountain of evidence,” Jennifer Friedenbach, director of the Coalition on Homelessness, said at Monday’s march. “People are still having their property destroyed and forced to move when they don’t have a place to go.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorney Nisha Kashyap of the Lawyers’ Committee of Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, who’s working on the case against San Francisco, said the litigation will go forward regardless of how the Supreme Court rules on Grants Pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The case against the city of San Francisco is much broader than just the question before the U.S. Supreme Court today,” she said, noting that only one of the 13 claims in the suit involves the Eighth Amendment question.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu took pains to differentiate the city’s approach to homelessness from that of Grants Pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983690\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983690\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873.jpeg\" alt=\"A crowd of people stand in front of a large federal building.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstrators gather at the Federal Building in San Francisco on Monday in support of unhoused people. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Styer Martínez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Unlike Grants Pass, San Francisco has invested billions of dollars in our compassionate approach to addressing homelessness, and our laws have reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions,” he said. “The justices asked a number of thoughtful questions today. The complexity of their questions underscore the difficult and numerous decisions our city workers have to make on the ground every day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Talya Husbands-Hankin, founder of the homeless advocacy organization, Love and Justice in the Streets, called Grants Pass “the most significant case on homelessness in over 40 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very frightening, and it’s another level of taking away rights,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates with her organization are working with about 25 unhoused people living in an encampment at Mosswood Park in Oakland, which the city plans to clear this week. She said that while the city offers shelter options, the offerings are inadequate and not a long-term solution to homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The shelter that the city is currently offering is not something people can always accept. You can’t take your pets, and it’s short-term,” Husbands-Hankin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco — and across California — the number of unhoused people continues to outpace affordable housing inventory and shelter resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, the most recent citywide data available, San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://hsh.sfgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PIT-Key-Findings-Briefing-Deck-web.pdf\">tallied nearly 4,400 people\u003c/a> without shelter. However, the city lacks enough affordable housing or temporary shelter options to accommodate those who need it. On Monday, 173 people were on the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://hsh.sfgov.org/services/how-to-get-services/accessing-temporary-shelter/adult-temporary-shelter/shelter-reservation-waitlist/\">online shelter reservation waitlist\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many of us feel strongly that mere shelter referrals were inadequate, but it is what the courts ruled, and now even this Eighth Amendment protection is threatened,” said Paul Boden, executive director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project. “We should be talking about housing — not shelter — when it comes to addressing mass contemporary homelessness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The protest came as the High Court on Monday heard oral arguments in the City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson, a decision that could impact whether cities around the country can remove and punish people for camping on public property if viable shelter options are unavailable.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713825210,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":33,"wordCount":1467},"headData":{"title":"‘Sweeps Kill’: Bay Area Homeless Advocates Weigh in on Pivotal US Supreme Court Case | KQED","description":"The protest came as the High Court on Monday heard oral arguments in the City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson, a decision that could impact whether cities around the country can remove and punish people for camping on public property if viable shelter options are unavailable.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"‘Sweeps Kill’: Bay Area Homeless Advocates Weigh in on Pivotal US Supreme Court Case","datePublished":"2024-04-22T21:16:18.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-22T22:33:30.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}}},"sticky":false,"excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11983701/sweeps-kill-bay-area-homeless-advocates-weigh-in-on-pivotal-u-s-supreme-court-case","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Around 100 people marched from San Francisco’s federal building to City Hall on Monday, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold lower court rulings on how cities can respond to homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The action came as SCOTUS heard oral arguments in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983492/how-a-pivotal-case-on-homelessness-could-redefine-policies-in-california-and-the-nation\">City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson\u003c/a>. The decision — which is expected by the end of June — is likely to impact whether cities around the country can issue fines and jail people for camping on public property if there isn’t a viable shelter alternative available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re here to stop the illegal pushing and shoving of the homeless,” said LaMonte Ford, who is currently unhoused. “It really hurts to think that your existence is now against the law, so we are all here to assemble against that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘We’re here to stop the illegal pushing and shoving of the homeless. It really hurts to think that your existence is now against the law, so we are all here to assemble against that.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","label":"citation=\"LaMonte Ford, an unhoused resident"},"numeric":["citation=\"LaMonte","Ford,","an","unhoused","resident"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Ford previously lived at the Wood Street Commons, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949327/the-end-of-wood-street-inside-the-struggle-for-stability-housing-on-the-margins-of-the-bay-area\">a large encampment in West Oakland\u003c/a> that the city cleared in 2023. He said the community sustained him for years while he could not afford rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It felt like somebody was ripping my mother away from me,” Ford said of the encampment sweep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s all we have. We have to exist in some kind of way,” he added. “Sweeps kill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The High Court is specifically reviewing a lower court’s decision, upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, that bars cities across the Western United States from criminalizing people for sleeping outside if no viable shelter options are available. Doing so, the lower court ruled, would be considered cruel and unusual punishment, violating the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials from across the political map, from Gov. Gavin Newsom to conservative state political leaders, joined in asking the Supreme Court to take up the case and clarify how much authority local leaders have to clear encampments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983692\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983692\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875.jpeg\" alt=\"A woman wrapped in a head scarf and face mask speaks into a microphone.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7875-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lisa Gray-Garcia speaks to a crowd outside the Federal Building in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, in support of the rights of unhoused people. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Styer Martínez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After over two and a half hours of argument, the court appeared divided along ideological lines, but the majority of justices indicated they consider local officials to be better equipped than the courts to take on these matters — a sign they may be leaning toward giving Grants Pass and other cities broader authority to regulate homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the liberal justices were deeply skeptical of the constitutionality of the city’s policies, suggesting that it criminalized people for simply being unhoused.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Where do we put them? If every city, every village, every town lacks compassion and passes a law identical to this — where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves not sleeping?” Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked the attorney representing the city of Grants Pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates for the unhoused found reason to be optimistic, pointing out that conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s questions indicated that he believes jailing people can’t solve homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every single time a court has heard this question, they’ve agreed that punishing people for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go is cruel and unusual,” said Jesse Rabinowitz, a spokesperson for the National Homelessness Law Center. “So, we remain hopeful that the Supreme Court will do the right thing and agree with all of the lower courts’ decisions and affirm that everybody, regardless of housing status, is protected by the Constitution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groups like the American Psychiatric Association support that position. In a brief submitted to the court, the medical group wrote, “People with mental illness experiencing homelessness already face various barriers to accessing mental health treatment; incarceration exacerbates these barriers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, opponents of the previous courts’ rulings argue that fines and short jail stints are a reasonable response when someone violates city laws by camping in public spaces.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"related coverage ","tag":"homelessness"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Those punishments are neither ‘cruel’ nor ‘unusual’ in any ordinary sense of those words,” attorneys for the city of Grants Pass wrote in a brief. “For centuries, fines and imprisonment have been the default methods of punishing criminal offenses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed have taken a more neutral position. They say that local governments shouldn’t criminalize people for being unhoused but also argue that the Ninth Circuit’s ruling goes too far, stymying cities’ ability to clear sidewalks, parks and other public spaces of tents and serious public health hazards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The courts have tied the hands of state & local government to confront homelessness,” Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1782403865322901922\">said on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday\u003c/a>. “The Supreme Court has an opportunity to strike a balance that allows officials to enforce reasonable limits on public camping while treating folks with compassion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, city workers must first offer shelter to unhoused people before clearing encampments. If someone is not at an encampment during a sweep, the city must “bag-and-tag” that person’s items to give them a chance to pick them up later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Coalition on Homelessness \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11960279/where-things-stand-in-san-franciscos-legal-battle-over-street-encampments\">sued San Francisco in 2023\u003c/a> for failing to adhere to those rules. That case is still pending, but any further legal action is paused until the Supreme Court rules on the Grant Pass case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We gathered a mountain of evidence,” Jennifer Friedenbach, director of the Coalition on Homelessness, said at Monday’s march. “People are still having their property destroyed and forced to move when they don’t have a place to go.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorney Nisha Kashyap of the Lawyers’ Committee of Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, who’s working on the case against San Francisco, said the litigation will go forward regardless of how the Supreme Court rules on Grants Pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The case against the city of San Francisco is much broader than just the question before the U.S. Supreme Court today,” she said, noting that only one of the 13 claims in the suit involves the Eighth Amendment question.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu took pains to differentiate the city’s approach to homelessness from that of Grants Pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11983690\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11983690\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873.jpeg\" alt=\"A crowd of people stand in front of a large federal building.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/IMG_7873-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstrators gather at the Federal Building in San Francisco on Monday in support of unhoused people. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Styer Martínez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Unlike Grants Pass, San Francisco has invested billions of dollars in our compassionate approach to addressing homelessness, and our laws have reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions,” he said. “The justices asked a number of thoughtful questions today. The complexity of their questions underscore the difficult and numerous decisions our city workers have to make on the ground every day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Talya Husbands-Hankin, founder of the homeless advocacy organization, Love and Justice in the Streets, called Grants Pass “the most significant case on homelessness in over 40 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very frightening, and it’s another level of taking away rights,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates with her organization are working with about 25 unhoused people living in an encampment at Mosswood Park in Oakland, which the city plans to clear this week. She said that while the city offers shelter options, the offerings are inadequate and not a long-term solution to homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The shelter that the city is currently offering is not something people can always accept. You can’t take your pets, and it’s short-term,” Husbands-Hankin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco — and across California — the number of unhoused people continues to outpace affordable housing inventory and shelter resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, the most recent citywide data available, San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://hsh.sfgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PIT-Key-Findings-Briefing-Deck-web.pdf\">tallied nearly 4,400 people\u003c/a> without shelter. However, the city lacks enough affordable housing or temporary shelter options to accommodate those who need it. On Monday, 173 people were on the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://hsh.sfgov.org/services/how-to-get-services/accessing-temporary-shelter/adult-temporary-shelter/shelter-reservation-waitlist/\">online shelter reservation waitlist\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many of us feel strongly that mere shelter referrals were inadequate, but it is what the courts ruled, and now even this Eighth Amendment protection is threatened,” said Paul Boden, executive director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project. “We should be talking about housing — not shelter — when it comes to addressing mass contemporary homelessness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11983701/sweeps-kill-bay-area-homeless-advocates-weigh-in-on-pivotal-u-s-supreme-court-case","authors":["11840","11276"],"categories":["news_8"],"tags":["news_22903","news_4020","news_1775","news_201"],"featImg":"news_11983691","label":"news"},"forum_2010101905468":{"type":"posts","id":"forum_2010101905468","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"forum","id":"2010101905468","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments-in-major-homelessness-case","title":"Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Major Homelessness Case","publishDate":1713822744,"format":"audio","headTitle":"Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Major Homelessness Case | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"forum"},"content":"\u003cp>The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in its biggest case on homelessness in decades. At issue is whether penalizing unhoused people for camping on public land violates the “cruel and unusual punishment” clause of the 8th Amendment — even if they refuse offers of shelter. The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, could have massive implications for how California cities address homelessness. Nearly half of all unhoused Americans live in California, according to a report last year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs. We’ll discuss the arguments and how the Court might rule.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, could have massive implications for how California cities address homelessness. We’ll discuss the arguments and how the Court might rule.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713899130,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":3,"wordCount":102},"headData":{"title":"Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Major Homelessness Case | KQED","description":"The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, could have massive implications for how California cities address homelessness. We’ll discuss the arguments and how the Court might rule.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Major Homelessness Case","datePublished":"2024-04-22T21:52:24.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-23T19:05:30.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"audioUrl":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/chrt.fm/track/G6C7C3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC7629469114.mp3?updated=1713899385","airdate":1713891600,"forumGuests":[{"name":"Marisa Kendall","bio":"homelessness reporter, CalMatters"},{"name":"Meghan Ryan","bio":"professor of law, Southern Methodist University (SMU)"}],"sticky":false,"excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/forum/2010101905468/supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments-in-major-homelessness-case","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in its biggest case on homelessness in decades. At issue is whether penalizing unhoused people for camping on public land violates the “cruel and unusual punishment” clause of the 8th Amendment — even if they refuse offers of shelter. The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, could have massive implications for how California cities address homelessness. Nearly half of all unhoused Americans live in California, according to a report last year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs. We’ll discuss the arguments and how the Court might rule.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/forum/2010101905468/supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments-in-major-homelessness-case","authors":["243"],"categories":["forum_165"],"featImg":"forum_2010101905469","label":"forum"},"news_11983481":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11983481","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11983481","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"bay-area-indians-prepare-for-indias-2024-general-election-heres-what-to-know","title":"Bay Area Indians Brace for India’s Pivotal 2024 Election: Here’s What to Know","publishDate":1713783602,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Bay Area Indians Brace for India’s Pivotal 2024 Election: Here’s What to Know | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>India — the largest democracy in the world — kicked off its election season on Friday, April 19. Voters will head to the polls during a period of 44 days, with results announced on June 4.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hopes to further cement its control of India’s Parliament, while the opposition seeks to interrupt the 10 consecutive years of BJP government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters in India’s election comprise over 10% of the world’s population. And for Indians and Indian Americans in the Bay Area, talk of this election may have been looming in the background for quite some time. Perhaps the WhatsApp family group chats are getting busier with videos of angry TV pundits. Or maybe your auntie and uncle are trying to reel you into policy debates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how exactly does India’s election work, and what’s at stake? Keep reading to get up to speed on why this election is so important for India — and the unique role the diaspora plays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#A\">How does the election work?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#B\">What’s at stake? What issues are on the table?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#C\">How does the election impact Indian and Indian American communities in the U.S.?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#D\">I’m an Indian citizen living in the U.S. Can I vote outside of India?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"A\">\u003c/a>How does India’s 2024 election work?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Unlike the United States, which for most of its recent history only gave voters one day to cast their ballots, India carries out its elections over several weeks to make voting more accessible to its large population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s general election period will last six weeks, starting on April 19, and \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-election-2024-explainer-41d7aa3131dc0c7e0df1ea4be6b6a4c7\">results will be announced on June 4\u003c/a>. The voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for a five-year term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The polls will be held in seven phases, and ballots will be cast at more than a million polling stations. Each phase will last a single day, with several constituencies across multiple states voting that day. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-election-modi-bjp-democracy-8998fe6aba5fa26debc0f82c4e2ccf69\">The staggered polling\u003c/a> allows the government to deploy tens of thousands of troops to prevent violence and transport election officials and voting machines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>India has a first-past-the-post multiparty electoral system in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins. A party or coalition must breach the mark of 272 seats to secure a majority.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who is running in India’s 2024 election?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and his main challenger, Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress, represent Parliament’s two largest factions. Several other important regional parties are part of an opposition bloc.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-election-opposition-modi-kejriwal-396a85e3fc4e4ed43018436b690b0fe0\">Opposition parties,\u003c/a> which have been previously fractured, have \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-opposition-parties-election-unity-a365ab9e6af2b7b6c19aea304693f186\">united under a front called INDIA,\u003c/a> or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, in the hope of denying Modi a third straight election victory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance has \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-opposition-parties-election-unity-a365ab9e6af2b7b6c19aea304693f186\">fielded a single primary candidate\u003c/a> in most constituencies. But it has been roiled by ideological differences and personality clashes and has not yet decided on its candidate for prime minister.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/india/modi-could-sweep-indian-election-congress-may-hit-record-low-says-survey-2024-04-03/\">Most surveys suggest Modi is likely to win comfortably\u003c/a>, especially after he opened \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-modi-temple-hindu-muslims-ayodhya-election-12102e8dd13a677b15d8760b4252aa7a\">a Hindu temple in northern Ayodhya city\u003c/a> in January, which fulfilled his party’s \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/ayodhya-ram-mandir-temple-hindu-nationalists-modi-hinduism-e6765dd13edb57a1644e961471939c30\">long-held Hindu nationalist pledge\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another victory would cement Modi as one of the country’s most popular and important leaders. It would follow a thumping win in 2019 when the BJP clinched an absolute majority by sweeping 303 parliamentary seats. The Congress party managed only 52 seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"B\">\u003c/a>What’s at stake for India?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With over 1.4 billion people and close to 970 million voters, India’s general election pits \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/narendra-modi\">Prime Minister Modi,\u003c/a> an avowed Hindu nationalist, against a broad INDIA coalition struggling to play catch-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 73-year-old Modi first swept to power in 2014 on promises of economic development, presenting himself as an outsider cracking down on corruption. Since then, he has fused religion with politics in a formula that has attracted wide support from the country’s majority Hindu population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>India under Modi is a rising global power, but his rule has also been marked by \u003ca href=\"https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/19/modia-india-elections-unemployment/\">rising unemployment\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/india-muslims-marginalized-population-bjp-modi\">attacks by Hindu nationalists against minorities\u003c/a>, particularly Muslims, and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/05/03/india-media-freedom-under-threat\">shrinking space for dissent and free media\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, many Indian residents feel the same concern. “It is a vote about the future of a concept called India itself,” said Shan Sankaran, an entrepreneur in Sunnyvale. Sankaran also shared his concern that India could become an autocracy with Modi at the helm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of the \u003cem>Kashmir Times\u003c/em> who is \u003ca href=\"https://jsk.stanford.edu/fellows/class-of-2023/anuradha-bhasin/\">currently a fellow at Stanford\u003c/a>, echoed some of his sentiments. “It’s a moment when India is at a crossroads.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These elections are very crucial. They will decide where India is headed,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are some of the big issues in this India election?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For decades, India has clung doggedly to its democratic convictions, largely due to free elections, an independent judiciary, a thriving media, strong opposition and peaceful transition of power. Some of these credentials have slowly eroded under Modi’s 10-year rule, with the polls seen as a test of the country’s democratic values.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"forum_2010101905411,news_11979550,news_11981407\"]Many watchdogs have now categorized India as a “hybrid regime” that is neither a full democracy nor a full autocracy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The polls will also test the limits of Modi, a populist leader whose rise has seen increasing attacks against religious minorities, mostly Muslims. Critics accuse him of using a Hindu-first platform, endangering the country’s secular roots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under Modi, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-newsclick-press-freedom-media-raids-6c262667beca3badefb97f1904980138\">the media\u003c/a> — once viewed as vibrant and largely independent — have become more pliant and \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-press-freedom-newsclick-arrest-raid-3faa0830e9f3bcd4e75f1b7df404f432\">critical voices muzzled.\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/kashmir-india-autonomy-supreme-court-status-d7e9b2c0cb0222e18de08d75c6b0ebc5\">Courts have largely bent to Modi’s will\u003c/a> and given favorable verdicts in crucial cases. Centralization of executive power has strained India’s federalism. And federal agencies have bogged down \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-new-delhi-arvind-kejriwal-jail-da600f0a1f98e7e35472d60854a81db9\">top opposition leaders\u003c/a> in corruption cases, which they deny.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another key issue is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-narendra-modi-independence-day-celebrations-economy-912cf92919f59fd338298d62ce158ba8\">India’s large economy,\u003c/a> which is among the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-shortterm-budget-elections-5046223a2c87da2125ea18c3abf33ec9\">fastest-growing in the world.\u003c/a> It has helped India emerge as a global power and a counterweight to China. But even as India’s growth soars by some measures, the Modi government has struggled to generate enough jobs for young people and instead has relied on welfare programs like free food and housing to woo voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.N.’s latest Asia-Pacific Human Development Report lists India among the top countries with high income and wealth inequality.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"C\">\u003c/a>How the country’s election might impact Indian communities in California\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, Indian immigrants make up \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/10/28/how-big-is-bay-area-boom-in-india-born-residents-together-theyd-rank-as-the-regions-fourth-largest-city/?clearUserState=true\">one out of every five residents in many South and East Bay neighborhoods\u003c/a>. In the region’s two biggest counties — Santa Clara and Alameda — those born in India are now the largest immigrant group. Not to mention, the Bay Area has become home to several Indians and Indian Americans in high places, like Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen, and, of course, Vice President Kamala Harris, who was born in Oakland. And the history of the Bay Area would be incomplete without the work of Indian and Indian American organizers — as evidenced by Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleysouthasian.org/\">South Asian Radical Walking History Tour\u003c/a> and the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837958/berkeley-renames-downtown-street-kala-bagai-way-after-south-asian-immigrant-activist\">Kala Bagai Way\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11913378 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/image12-1020x679.jpg']Indians abroad wield a lot of economic power in India. Last year, Indians in the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/invest/india-tops-global-remittance-charts-at-125-billion-in-2023/articleshow/106087493.cms\">sent $125 billion back to India in remittances (payments to family)\u003c/a> — roughly equivalent to 3.3% of the Indian GDP.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhasin, the \u003cem>Kashmir Times\u003c/em> editor at Stanford, said she has seen that divisive narratives in India have echoes in the Bay Area. “The Indian diaspora is as divided as Indians are in India,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their idea of India depends on the kind of sources of information they’re looking at,” she explained. If they are looking at mainstream media, their reading is different from those relying on non-mainstream digital media outlets, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deepthi Rao, who has been in the Bay Area for the last eight years, said she is a Modi fan. “I am a queer person of color,” she said. “The [BJP] have been, unrightfully, in my opinion, demonized as anti-LGBTQ.” She explained that in 2018, under the BJP government, Article 377 — a law that criminalized consensual homosexual acts — was abolished. In 2013, however, when the Indian National Congress party was in power, Article 377 was reinstated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She would like to go back to India to vote, she said — but isn’t sure if she’ll be able to make it.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"D\">\u003c/a>I’m an Indian national in the US. Can I still vote in the elections?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Non-resident Indians in the U.S. for employment or education and are not citizens of any other country are \u003ca href=\"https://www.cgichicago.gov.in/page/nri-voter-enrollment-process/\">eligible to register as voters with the address in their Indian passport\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, they would be required to vote in person at their polling location in India — no mail-in, remote voting from outside that location is possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article includes reporting from KQED’s Lakshmi Sarah. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"A look at what India’s general elections mean for Indians and Indian Americans in the Bay Area.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713730242,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":37,"wordCount":1582},"headData":{"title":"Bay Area Indians Brace for India’s Pivotal 2024 Election: Here’s What to Know | KQED","description":"A look at what India’s general elections mean for Indians and Indian Americans in the Bay Area.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Bay Area Indians Brace for India’s Pivotal 2024 Election: Here’s What to Know","datePublished":"2024-04-22T11:00:02.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-21T20:10:42.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}}},"sticky":false,"nprByline":"Sheikh Saaliq\u003cbr>Associated Press","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11983481/bay-area-indians-prepare-for-indias-2024-general-election-heres-what-to-know","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>India — the largest democracy in the world — kicked off its election season on Friday, April 19. Voters will head to the polls during a period of 44 days, with results announced on June 4.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hopes to further cement its control of India’s Parliament, while the opposition seeks to interrupt the 10 consecutive years of BJP government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters in India’s election comprise over 10% of the world’s population. And for Indians and Indian Americans in the Bay Area, talk of this election may have been looming in the background for quite some time. Perhaps the WhatsApp family group chats are getting busier with videos of angry TV pundits. Or maybe your auntie and uncle are trying to reel you into policy debates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how exactly does India’s election work, and what’s at stake? Keep reading to get up to speed on why this election is so important for India — and the unique role the diaspora plays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#A\">How does the election work?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#B\">What’s at stake? What issues are on the table?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#C\">How does the election impact Indian and Indian American communities in the U.S.?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#D\">I’m an Indian citizen living in the U.S. Can I vote outside of India?\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"A\">\u003c/a>How does India’s 2024 election work?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Unlike the United States, which for most of its recent history only gave voters one day to cast their ballots, India carries out its elections over several weeks to make voting more accessible to its large population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s general election period will last six weeks, starting on April 19, and \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-election-2024-explainer-41d7aa3131dc0c7e0df1ea4be6b6a4c7\">results will be announced on June 4\u003c/a>. The voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for a five-year term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The polls will be held in seven phases, and ballots will be cast at more than a million polling stations. Each phase will last a single day, with several constituencies across multiple states voting that day. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-election-modi-bjp-democracy-8998fe6aba5fa26debc0f82c4e2ccf69\">The staggered polling\u003c/a> allows the government to deploy tens of thousands of troops to prevent violence and transport election officials and voting machines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>India has a first-past-the-post multiparty electoral system in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins. A party or coalition must breach the mark of 272 seats to secure a majority.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who is running in India’s 2024 election?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and his main challenger, Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress, represent Parliament’s two largest factions. Several other important regional parties are part of an opposition bloc.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-election-opposition-modi-kejriwal-396a85e3fc4e4ed43018436b690b0fe0\">Opposition parties,\u003c/a> which have been previously fractured, have \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-opposition-parties-election-unity-a365ab9e6af2b7b6c19aea304693f186\">united under a front called INDIA,\u003c/a> or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, in the hope of denying Modi a third straight election victory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance has \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-opposition-parties-election-unity-a365ab9e6af2b7b6c19aea304693f186\">fielded a single primary candidate\u003c/a> in most constituencies. But it has been roiled by ideological differences and personality clashes and has not yet decided on its candidate for prime minister.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/india/modi-could-sweep-indian-election-congress-may-hit-record-low-says-survey-2024-04-03/\">Most surveys suggest Modi is likely to win comfortably\u003c/a>, especially after he opened \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-modi-temple-hindu-muslims-ayodhya-election-12102e8dd13a677b15d8760b4252aa7a\">a Hindu temple in northern Ayodhya city\u003c/a> in January, which fulfilled his party’s \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/ayodhya-ram-mandir-temple-hindu-nationalists-modi-hinduism-e6765dd13edb57a1644e961471939c30\">long-held Hindu nationalist pledge\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another victory would cement Modi as one of the country’s most popular and important leaders. It would follow a thumping win in 2019 when the BJP clinched an absolute majority by sweeping 303 parliamentary seats. The Congress party managed only 52 seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"B\">\u003c/a>What’s at stake for India?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With over 1.4 billion people and close to 970 million voters, India’s general election pits \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/narendra-modi\">Prime Minister Modi,\u003c/a> an avowed Hindu nationalist, against a broad INDIA coalition struggling to play catch-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 73-year-old Modi first swept to power in 2014 on promises of economic development, presenting himself as an outsider cracking down on corruption. Since then, he has fused religion with politics in a formula that has attracted wide support from the country’s majority Hindu population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>India under Modi is a rising global power, but his rule has also been marked by \u003ca href=\"https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/19/modia-india-elections-unemployment/\">rising unemployment\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/india-muslims-marginalized-population-bjp-modi\">attacks by Hindu nationalists against minorities\u003c/a>, particularly Muslims, and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/05/03/india-media-freedom-under-threat\">shrinking space for dissent and free media\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, many Indian residents feel the same concern. “It is a vote about the future of a concept called India itself,” said Shan Sankaran, an entrepreneur in Sunnyvale. Sankaran also shared his concern that India could become an autocracy with Modi at the helm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of the \u003cem>Kashmir Times\u003c/em> who is \u003ca href=\"https://jsk.stanford.edu/fellows/class-of-2023/anuradha-bhasin/\">currently a fellow at Stanford\u003c/a>, echoed some of his sentiments. “It’s a moment when India is at a crossroads.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These elections are very crucial. They will decide where India is headed,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are some of the big issues in this India election?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For decades, India has clung doggedly to its democratic convictions, largely due to free elections, an independent judiciary, a thriving media, strong opposition and peaceful transition of power. Some of these credentials have slowly eroded under Modi’s 10-year rule, with the polls seen as a test of the country’s democratic values.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"Related Stories ","postid":"forum_2010101905411,news_11979550,news_11981407"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Many watchdogs have now categorized India as a “hybrid regime” that is neither a full democracy nor a full autocracy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The polls will also test the limits of Modi, a populist leader whose rise has seen increasing attacks against religious minorities, mostly Muslims. Critics accuse him of using a Hindu-first platform, endangering the country’s secular roots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under Modi, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-newsclick-press-freedom-media-raids-6c262667beca3badefb97f1904980138\">the media\u003c/a> — once viewed as vibrant and largely independent — have become more pliant and \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-press-freedom-newsclick-arrest-raid-3faa0830e9f3bcd4e75f1b7df404f432\">critical voices muzzled.\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/kashmir-india-autonomy-supreme-court-status-d7e9b2c0cb0222e18de08d75c6b0ebc5\">Courts have largely bent to Modi’s will\u003c/a> and given favorable verdicts in crucial cases. Centralization of executive power has strained India’s federalism. And federal agencies have bogged down \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-new-delhi-arvind-kejriwal-jail-da600f0a1f98e7e35472d60854a81db9\">top opposition leaders\u003c/a> in corruption cases, which they deny.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another key issue is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-narendra-modi-independence-day-celebrations-economy-912cf92919f59fd338298d62ce158ba8\">India’s large economy,\u003c/a> which is among the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/india-shortterm-budget-elections-5046223a2c87da2125ea18c3abf33ec9\">fastest-growing in the world.\u003c/a> It has helped India emerge as a global power and a counterweight to China. But even as India’s growth soars by some measures, the Modi government has struggled to generate enough jobs for young people and instead has relied on welfare programs like free food and housing to woo voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.N.’s latest Asia-Pacific Human Development Report lists India among the top countries with high income and wealth inequality.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"C\">\u003c/a>How the country’s election might impact Indian communities in California\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, Indian immigrants make up \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/10/28/how-big-is-bay-area-boom-in-india-born-residents-together-theyd-rank-as-the-regions-fourth-largest-city/?clearUserState=true\">one out of every five residents in many South and East Bay neighborhoods\u003c/a>. In the region’s two biggest counties — Santa Clara and Alameda — those born in India are now the largest immigrant group. Not to mention, the Bay Area has become home to several Indians and Indian Americans in high places, like Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen, and, of course, Vice President Kamala Harris, who was born in Oakland. And the history of the Bay Area would be incomplete without the work of Indian and Indian American organizers — as evidenced by Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleysouthasian.org/\">South Asian Radical Walking History Tour\u003c/a> and the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837958/berkeley-renames-downtown-street-kala-bagai-way-after-south-asian-immigrant-activist\">Kala Bagai Way\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11913378","hero":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/image12-1020x679.jpg","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Indians abroad wield a lot of economic power in India. Last year, Indians in the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/invest/india-tops-global-remittance-charts-at-125-billion-in-2023/articleshow/106087493.cms\">sent $125 billion back to India in remittances (payments to family)\u003c/a> — roughly equivalent to 3.3% of the Indian GDP.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bhasin, the \u003cem>Kashmir Times\u003c/em> editor at Stanford, said she has seen that divisive narratives in India have echoes in the Bay Area. “The Indian diaspora is as divided as Indians are in India,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their idea of India depends on the kind of sources of information they’re looking at,” she explained. If they are looking at mainstream media, their reading is different from those relying on non-mainstream digital media outlets, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deepthi Rao, who has been in the Bay Area for the last eight years, said she is a Modi fan. “I am a queer person of color,” she said. “The [BJP] have been, unrightfully, in my opinion, demonized as anti-LGBTQ.” She explained that in 2018, under the BJP government, Article 377 — a law that criminalized consensual homosexual acts — was abolished. In 2013, however, when the Indian National Congress party was in power, Article 377 was reinstated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She would like to go back to India to vote, she said — but isn’t sure if she’ll be able to make it.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"D\">\u003c/a>I’m an Indian national in the US. Can I still vote in the elections?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Non-resident Indians in the U.S. for employment or education and are not citizens of any other country are \u003ca href=\"https://www.cgichicago.gov.in/page/nri-voter-enrollment-process/\">eligible to register as voters with the address in their Indian passport\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, they would be required to vote in person at their polling location in India — no mail-in, remote voting from outside that location is possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article includes reporting from KQED’s Lakshmi Sarah. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11983481/bay-area-indians-prepare-for-indias-2024-general-election-heres-what-to-know","authors":["byline_news_11983481"],"categories":["news_8"],"tags":["news_27626","news_6284","news_33978"],"featImg":"news_11983549","label":"news"},"news_11983654":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11983654","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11983654","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"californias-future-educators-divided-on-how-to-teach-reading","title":"California’s Future Educators Divided on How to Teach Reading","publishDate":1713812452,"format":"standard","headTitle":"California’s Future Educators Divided on How to Teach Reading | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":33681,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>Supporters of bolstering how teacher candidates in California are taught to teach reading cheered in 2021 when the Legislature \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB488\">agreed and mandated change\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They remained enthusiastic a year later when \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2023/californias-plan-to-change-literacy-instruction-advances/692569\">the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing adopted new standards \u003c/a>emphasizing explicit instruction of fundamental skills, including phonics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, advocates are charging that the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and its oversight body, the Committee on Accreditation, have failed their first test to stand behind those new standards. Instead, after a one-hour hearing Friday, the commission confirmed full accreditation to Mills College at Northeastern, which critics argue is ignoring critical new standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This approval will set a bad example for other programs facing a fall deadline to overhaul their literacy instruction and begin teaching the revised standards, critics said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly, the commission is unwilling to uphold the state’s own curriculum framework and its guidance for new teacher prep programs, as outlined” in state law, said Yolie Flores, president and CEO of Families in Schools, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that advocates for parents. “Given that, what chance is there that literacy instruction will ever change, and what chance is there that our children will be successful in learning to read?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[ad fullwidth] \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The answer may become clearer as other programs come up for review. However, the credential commission’s unanimous vote to reaffirm Mills College at Northeastern’s accreditation found support not only among the peer reviewers for the Committee on Accreditation but also from leaders of other teacher prep programs who submitted comments and testimony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing and the commission’s decision revealed ongoing disagreements over how California’s new literacy standards should be interpreted and implemented and raised the question of whether the Legislature’s intent in ordering a different approach to literacy instruction will be followed with fidelity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The credentialing commission’s decision was in response to a complaint filed by Families in Schools and the nonprofits Decoding Dyslexia and California Reading Coalition. The organizations hoped that the commission would investigate the accreditation approval for Mills College at Northeastern or order that the program get technical help to bring it into compliance with the new standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Commissioners, it is up to you to make sure the letter and intent of the law is followed. If you don’t do it, it won’t be done, and these terrible results won’t change,” testified Todd Collins of the California Reading Coalition, referring to the low reading proficiency rate of California third graders: 43% overall and less than a third for Black and Latino children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Credentialing commissioners instead took a third option — referring the complaint to the Committee on Accreditation without comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Commissioners made clear they trusted the accreditation committee’s judgment and peer-review process, which relies on an evaluation by professors of teacher prep programs. Credentialing Commission Chair Marquita Grenot-Scheyer and others said they found no merit to the complaint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have an established, coherent and effective process for program review and accreditation in the state of California,” said Grenot-Scheyer, a professor emeritus in the College of Education at California State University, Long Beach.[aside postID=news_11945189 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CMTeachers01-1020x680.jpg']Commissioner Ira Lit, a professor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, agreed, adding that he sees “no indication that attention to those frameworks, guidelines and standards of review were amiss in this particular case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Legislature’s mandate in \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB488\">Senate Bill 488\u003c/a> directed the commission to incorporate evidence-based methods of teaching foundational reading skills in its programs for multiple-subject credentials and reading specialists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The literacy skills that teacher candidates would learn to teach include not only phonics, which correlates sounds with letters in the alphabet but also vocabulary, oral language, fluency, reading comprehension and writing. The commission appointed two dozen reading experts to recommend research-based literacy practices aligned to the state’s existing curriculum frameworks that all teacher preparation programs would adopt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Collins, Flores and others praised the final package of teacher performance expectations, known as Standard 7 in the program requirements. They said it would meet the needs of all students, including English learners and students with dyslexia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So did two members of the work group of experts who were skeptical of Mills College at Northeastern’s literacy instruction: Maryanne Wolf, a cognitive neuroscientist who directs the UCLA Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice, and Sue Sears, a professor of special education at CSU Northridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They called Standard 7 “a rigorous and comprehensive set of requirements which reflect current reading research and practice.” After examining Mills College at Northeastern’s course syllabi, reading lists, and materials for literacy instruction, they said the program fell far short of the requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In testimony and written comments, they said the school paid “lip service” to foundational skills and failed to document how prospective teachers would teach phonics explicitly and effectively. Among other flaws, the program didn’t mention the importance of screening for dyslexia and how to provide additional help for struggling and multilingual students, Wolf and Sears wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mills at Northeastern was formed from the merger of Mills College, a 170-year-old former women’s college in Oakland that closed in 2022, with Northeastern University in Boston.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Structured versus balanced literacy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In expressing confidence in a thorough accreditation review process while not commenting on the substance of the complaint, the credentialing commission dodged the underlying issue. The state had taken a stand in the debate over “structured literacy” versus “balanced literacy.” Standard 7 incorporates structured literacy. Taught under the banner of “science of reading,” it stresses evidence-proven reading strategies using, in the early grades, direct and sequential instruction of phonics and decodable texts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Balanced literacy, an outgrowth of the once-popular “whole language” approach, downplays phonics, which it views as just one of several strategies in teaching reading. Other methods include “three-cueing,” the technique in which readers use pictures in a book, the first letter of a word and other contextual clues to determine words. It’s grounded in the belief that reading more books tied to the skill level of a child’s fluency and comprehension will make them better, more engaged readers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mills College at Northeastern stresses balanced literacy and three-cueing. Its reading assignments include multiple chapters by Fountas and Pinnell, the publisher most identified with balanced literacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Approving credential programs like Mills “to provide contradictory instructional practices, some of which are supported by research and others that have been debunked by cognitive scientists years ago, will only serve to create confusion for teaching credential candidates,” Decoding Dyslexia CA co-directors Lori DePole and Megan Potente wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matthew Burns, a University of Florida reading researcher who said he had studied the effectiveness of Fountas and Pinnell instructional programs and intervention strategies, was blunt. “The three-cueing system should have no place in public education and should not be part of any preservice training,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>In defense of Mills College\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Other leaders of teacher preparation programs and advocacy groups in California urged the credentialing commission to uphold the approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stating that a comprehensive literacy curriculum includes background knowledge, multilingualism motivation and diverse text and assessments — not just phonics, Nancy Walker, a professor of literacy education at the University of La Verne, said, “By limiting our focus to the claims made by the popular press and media, we have underrepresented other pieces of reading pedagogy. The Mills College program represents the broad range of literacy as represented in the California literacy frameworks and standards.”[aside postID=news_11914203 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/MillsCommencement-1020x608.jpg']Karen Escalante, an assistant professor of teacher education and foundations at CSU San Bernardino and president of the California Council on Teacher Education, warned that “efforts to pick and choose select elements of teacher preparation syllabi undermine the teaching profession and aim to deprofessionalize a professional workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mimi Miller, a professor and literacy teacher educator at CSU Chico, said, “The complaint against Mills privileges one line of research over another. It has inaccurately cited research to confirm a set of beliefs about reading instruction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The science of reading is not settled and will never be settled,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Teachers Association and Californians Together, which advocates for English and expanding multilingual education, also urged commissioners to uphold the accreditation approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I call on the commission to not make any decisions that would restrict reading instruction in California,” said Manuel Buenrostro, director of policy at Californians Together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wolf used her two-minute comment to refute what opponents said regarding the state of research. “Of course, there is the unsettled, but there is far more of the settled neuroscience of reading,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mills College at Northeastern “fails to meet the standards that you asked us to bring to every teacher so that every teacher could be prepared to teach every child,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am worrisomely seeing in California that there is becoming more loyalty to past methods that have been shown to be ineffective for our most struggling readers. We can never put loyalty to past methods over loyalty to our children.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>SB 488 under attack\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several commissioners indicated they, too, support a “balanced” approach to reading instruction tied to research. Others said the key to improved instruction is understanding socioeconomic and cultural differences among children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Culturally responsive teaching practices are what’s going to work to teach those children how to read,” said Commissioner Christopher Davis, pointing to his own experience as a Black child in Los Angeles who did not read an entire book until he was a high school junior. Davis, a middle school language arts teacher in the Berryessa Union School District in San Jose, said, “I want to encourage the public to stop using Black and brown children to prop up their misguided views of what’s happening in schools because I am one of those people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SB 488 requires all teacher candidates, starting in the spring of 2025, to take a performance assessment demonstrating they can effectively teach the new literacy instruction standards. The law also requires the Committee on Accreditation to visit all teacher prep programs in 2024–25 to verify they employ the new literacy strategies.[aside label='Related Coverage' tag='education']But a bill that would remove those provisions before they take effect is moving forward in the Legislature.\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1263\"> Senate Bill 1263\u003c/a>, sponsored by the California Teachers Association, would eliminate the California \u003ca href=\"https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/CalTPA_TestPage.html\">Teaching Performance Assessment\u003c/a>, known as the CalTPA. And that would include the performance assessment in teaching reading now being developed. The bill, authored by Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), would also drop the on-site visits to verify that teacher prep programs are adhering to the literacy standards. The periodic general accreditation and re-accreditation process, like the one that Mills College passed, would be the sole accountability check that California’s new teachers know how to teach structured literacy and the science of reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another bill, which would have extended the same training in structured literacy for new teachers to all elementary school teachers, also would have strengthened the credentialing commission’s literacy expertise. \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2222\">Assembly Bill 2222\u003c/a> would have required that at least one member of the Committee on Accreditation be an expert in the science of reading. And it would have funded several literacy experts for the commission staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same adversaries that fought over Mills College at Northeastern battled over AB 2222. Decoding Dyslexia CA, Families in Schools and California Reading Coalition sponsored the bill. Opposition by CTA, Californians Together and the California Association of Bilingual Educators led Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas to pull the bill without a hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Collins of the California Reading Coalition said he wasn’t surprised by the credentialing commission’s decision. The view of those involved in teacher preparation programs, which is not unique to California, is: “‘Let us professionals do our job. We are the ones who can arbitrate whether we’re doing a good job or not. No one else can do that,'” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To the extent that the credentialing commission defers to the process and defers to the people in the higher ed institutions, then change is going to come very, very slowly, if at all,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Critics question accreditation of a program they say won't adhere to new standards on structured literacy.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713815072,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":42,"wordCount":2152},"headData":{"title":"California’s Future Educators Divided on How to Teach Reading | KQED","description":"Critics question accreditation of a program they say won't adhere to new standards on structured literacy.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"California’s Future Educators Divided on How to Teach Reading","datePublished":"2024-04-22T19:00:52.000Z","dateModified":"2024-04-22T19:44:32.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}}},"sticky":false,"nprByline":"John Fensterwald, EdSource","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11983654/californias-future-educators-divided-on-how-to-teach-reading","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Supporters of bolstering how teacher candidates in California are taught to teach reading cheered in 2021 when the Legislature \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB488\">agreed and mandated change\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They remained enthusiastic a year later when \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2023/californias-plan-to-change-literacy-instruction-advances/692569\">the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing adopted new standards \u003c/a>emphasizing explicit instruction of fundamental skills, including phonics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, advocates are charging that the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and its oversight body, the Committee on Accreditation, have failed their first test to stand behind those new standards. Instead, after a one-hour hearing Friday, the commission confirmed full accreditation to Mills College at Northeastern, which critics argue is ignoring critical new standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This approval will set a bad example for other programs facing a fall deadline to overhaul their literacy instruction and begin teaching the revised standards, critics said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly, the commission is unwilling to uphold the state’s own curriculum framework and its guidance for new teacher prep programs, as outlined” in state law, said Yolie Flores, president and CEO of Families in Schools, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that advocates for parents. “Given that, what chance is there that literacy instruction will ever change, and what chance is there that our children will be successful in learning to read?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The answer may become clearer as other programs come up for review. However, the credential commission’s unanimous vote to reaffirm Mills College at Northeastern’s accreditation found support not only among the peer reviewers for the Committee on Accreditation but also from leaders of other teacher prep programs who submitted comments and testimony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing and the commission’s decision revealed ongoing disagreements over how California’s new literacy standards should be interpreted and implemented and raised the question of whether the Legislature’s intent in ordering a different approach to literacy instruction will be followed with fidelity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The credentialing commission’s decision was in response to a complaint filed by Families in Schools and the nonprofits Decoding Dyslexia and California Reading Coalition. The organizations hoped that the commission would investigate the accreditation approval for Mills College at Northeastern or order that the program get technical help to bring it into compliance with the new standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Commissioners, it is up to you to make sure the letter and intent of the law is followed. If you don’t do it, it won’t be done, and these terrible results won’t change,” testified Todd Collins of the California Reading Coalition, referring to the low reading proficiency rate of California third graders: 43% overall and less than a third for Black and Latino children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Credentialing commissioners instead took a third option — referring the complaint to the Committee on Accreditation without comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Commissioners made clear they trusted the accreditation committee’s judgment and peer-review process, which relies on an evaluation by professors of teacher prep programs. Credentialing Commission Chair Marquita Grenot-Scheyer and others said they found no merit to the complaint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have an established, coherent and effective process for program review and accreditation in the state of California,” said Grenot-Scheyer, a professor emeritus in the College of Education at California State University, Long Beach.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11945189","hero":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CMTeachers01-1020x680.jpg","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Commissioner Ira Lit, a professor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, agreed, adding that he sees “no indication that attention to those frameworks, guidelines and standards of review were amiss in this particular case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Legislature’s mandate in \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB488\">Senate Bill 488\u003c/a> directed the commission to incorporate evidence-based methods of teaching foundational reading skills in its programs for multiple-subject credentials and reading specialists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The literacy skills that teacher candidates would learn to teach include not only phonics, which correlates sounds with letters in the alphabet but also vocabulary, oral language, fluency, reading comprehension and writing. The commission appointed two dozen reading experts to recommend research-based literacy practices aligned to the state’s existing curriculum frameworks that all teacher preparation programs would adopt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Collins, Flores and others praised the final package of teacher performance expectations, known as Standard 7 in the program requirements. They said it would meet the needs of all students, including English learners and students with dyslexia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So did two members of the work group of experts who were skeptical of Mills College at Northeastern’s literacy instruction: Maryanne Wolf, a cognitive neuroscientist who directs the UCLA Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice, and Sue Sears, a professor of special education at CSU Northridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They called Standard 7 “a rigorous and comprehensive set of requirements which reflect current reading research and practice.” After examining Mills College at Northeastern’s course syllabi, reading lists, and materials for literacy instruction, they said the program fell far short of the requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In testimony and written comments, they said the school paid “lip service” to foundational skills and failed to document how prospective teachers would teach phonics explicitly and effectively. Among other flaws, the program didn’t mention the importance of screening for dyslexia and how to provide additional help for struggling and multilingual students, Wolf and Sears wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mills at Northeastern was formed from the merger of Mills College, a 170-year-old former women’s college in Oakland that closed in 2022, with Northeastern University in Boston.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Structured versus balanced literacy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In expressing confidence in a thorough accreditation review process while not commenting on the substance of the complaint, the credentialing commission dodged the underlying issue. The state had taken a stand in the debate over “structured literacy” versus “balanced literacy.” Standard 7 incorporates structured literacy. Taught under the banner of “science of reading,” it stresses evidence-proven reading strategies using, in the early grades, direct and sequential instruction of phonics and decodable texts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Balanced literacy, an outgrowth of the once-popular “whole language” approach, downplays phonics, which it views as just one of several strategies in teaching reading. Other methods include “three-cueing,” the technique in which readers use pictures in a book, the first letter of a word and other contextual clues to determine words. It’s grounded in the belief that reading more books tied to the skill level of a child’s fluency and comprehension will make them better, more engaged readers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mills College at Northeastern stresses balanced literacy and three-cueing. Its reading assignments include multiple chapters by Fountas and Pinnell, the publisher most identified with balanced literacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Approving credential programs like Mills “to provide contradictory instructional practices, some of which are supported by research and others that have been debunked by cognitive scientists years ago, will only serve to create confusion for teaching credential candidates,” Decoding Dyslexia CA co-directors Lori DePole and Megan Potente wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matthew Burns, a University of Florida reading researcher who said he had studied the effectiveness of Fountas and Pinnell instructional programs and intervention strategies, was blunt. “The three-cueing system should have no place in public education and should not be part of any preservice training,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>In defense of Mills College\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Other leaders of teacher preparation programs and advocacy groups in California urged the credentialing commission to uphold the approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stating that a comprehensive literacy curriculum includes background knowledge, multilingualism motivation and diverse text and assessments — not just phonics, Nancy Walker, a professor of literacy education at the University of La Verne, said, “By limiting our focus to the claims made by the popular press and media, we have underrepresented other pieces of reading pedagogy. The Mills College program represents the broad range of literacy as represented in the California literacy frameworks and standards.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11914203","hero":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/MillsCommencement-1020x608.jpg","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Karen Escalante, an assistant professor of teacher education and foundations at CSU San Bernardino and president of the California Council on Teacher Education, warned that “efforts to pick and choose select elements of teacher preparation syllabi undermine the teaching profession and aim to deprofessionalize a professional workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mimi Miller, a professor and literacy teacher educator at CSU Chico, said, “The complaint against Mills privileges one line of research over another. It has inaccurately cited research to confirm a set of beliefs about reading instruction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The science of reading is not settled and will never be settled,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Teachers Association and Californians Together, which advocates for English and expanding multilingual education, also urged commissioners to uphold the accreditation approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I call on the commission to not make any decisions that would restrict reading instruction in California,” said Manuel Buenrostro, director of policy at Californians Together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wolf used her two-minute comment to refute what opponents said regarding the state of research. “Of course, there is the unsettled, but there is far more of the settled neuroscience of reading,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mills College at Northeastern “fails to meet the standards that you asked us to bring to every teacher so that every teacher could be prepared to teach every child,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am worrisomely seeing in California that there is becoming more loyalty to past methods that have been shown to be ineffective for our most struggling readers. We can never put loyalty to past methods over loyalty to our children.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>SB 488 under attack\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several commissioners indicated they, too, support a “balanced” approach to reading instruction tied to research. Others said the key to improved instruction is understanding socioeconomic and cultural differences among children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Culturally responsive teaching practices are what’s going to work to teach those children how to read,” said Commissioner Christopher Davis, pointing to his own experience as a Black child in Los Angeles who did not read an entire book until he was a high school junior. Davis, a middle school language arts teacher in the Berryessa Union School District in San Jose, said, “I want to encourage the public to stop using Black and brown children to prop up their misguided views of what’s happening in schools because I am one of those people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SB 488 requires all teacher candidates, starting in the spring of 2025, to take a performance assessment demonstrating they can effectively teach the new literacy instruction standards. The law also requires the Committee on Accreditation to visit all teacher prep programs in 2024–25 to verify they employ the new literacy strategies.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"Related Coverage ","tag":"education"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But a bill that would remove those provisions before they take effect is moving forward in the Legislature.\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1263\"> Senate Bill 1263\u003c/a>, sponsored by the California Teachers Association, would eliminate the California \u003ca href=\"https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/CalTPA_TestPage.html\">Teaching Performance Assessment\u003c/a>, known as the CalTPA. And that would include the performance assessment in teaching reading now being developed. The bill, authored by Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), would also drop the on-site visits to verify that teacher prep programs are adhering to the literacy standards. The periodic general accreditation and re-accreditation process, like the one that Mills College passed, would be the sole accountability check that California’s new teachers know how to teach structured literacy and the science of reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another bill, which would have extended the same training in structured literacy for new teachers to all elementary school teachers, also would have strengthened the credentialing commission’s literacy expertise. \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2222\">Assembly Bill 2222\u003c/a> would have required that at least one member of the Committee on Accreditation be an expert in the science of reading. And it would have funded several literacy experts for the commission staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same adversaries that fought over Mills College at Northeastern battled over AB 2222. Decoding Dyslexia CA, Families in Schools and California Reading Coalition sponsored the bill. Opposition by CTA, Californians Together and the California Association of Bilingual Educators led Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas to pull the bill without a hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Collins of the California Reading Coalition said he wasn’t surprised by the credentialing commission’s decision. The view of those involved in teacher preparation programs, which is not unique to California, is: “‘Let us professionals do our job. We are the ones who can arbitrate whether we’re doing a good job or not. No one else can do that,'” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To the extent that the credentialing commission defers to the process and defers to the people in the higher ed institutions, then change is going to come very, very slowly, if at all,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11983654/californias-future-educators-divided-on-how-to-teach-reading","authors":["byline_news_11983654"],"categories":["news_18540","news_8"],"tags":["news_18538","news_32580","news_20013","news_27626","news_18500"],"affiliates":["news_33681"],"featImg":"news_11983657","label":"news_33681"},"news_11690316":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11690316","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11690316","found":true},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"metoo-unmasks-the-open-secret-of-sexual-abuse-in-yoga","title":"#MeToo Unmasks the Open Secret of Sexual Abuse in Yoga","publishDate":1536351199,"format":"image","headTitle":"The California Report | KQED News","labelTerm":{"term":72,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>\u003cem>Reader advisory: Some accounts of sexual abuse in this story contain explicit details and strong language that some may find upsetting or objectionable.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nn West was performing an advanced backbend at a yoga workshop when her teacher came over and stroked her breasts and nipples, she said. He did it, she said, in a way “that could only be described as a caress.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'We are, I believe, just beginning to see the impact on the yoga community of this #MeToo moment. \u003c/strong>There is a long history of sexual misconduct and of abuse-of-power situations in the yoga community.'\u003ccite> Shannon Roche, chief operating officer of Yoga Alliance\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Her classmates were rolling back and forth -- no one could have seen the alleged groping by the teacher, West said. “I was amazed, shocked,\" she added. \"I came out of the pose. He quickly got up and walked away and then didn't bother me for the rest of the class.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West shared her story in response to a KQED callout for #MeToo accounts in the Bay Area yoga world. An ensuing investigation revealed a range of allegations by seven women against five teachers: from inappropriate massage to a violating touch in class, from drugging to unlawful sex with a minor. KQED found that the yoga community is struggling to rein in this sexual misconduct and abuse in its ranks. Some experts believe the lack of oversight of teachers and schools is adding to the problems of an industry experiencing explosive growth, where touch and trust are a fundamental part of the practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The women are telling their stories amid a global outcry and reckoning over sexual misconduct and abuse -- the #MeToo movement -- at the highest levels of political office and in many industries, such as film, media and food. The growing number of accounts has forced many businesses and sectors to examine their codes of conduct, reporting processes and handling of bad actors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In yoga, experts and leaders say, that soul-searching is only beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11634433/i-dont-feel-safe-at-work-your-metoo-stories\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">'I Don't Feel Safe At Work': Your #MeToo Stories\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>West, 50, said initially she was in denial about the November 2013 incident in San Diego -- she felt “psychologically shackled” to Iyengar yoga and kept attending classes with San Francisco-based Manouso Manos. Later, she was afraid to come forward with the allegation: afraid she’d be shunned by the Iyengar community for accusing a famous instructor and afraid it would hurt her livelihood as a yoga teacher of nearly two decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that changed in 2015, when West alleged she saw Manos verbally abuse two students in class (which he denied through a spokesman). Though it wasn’t sexual abuse, seeing the experience of the other students was a wake-up call for her to finally distance herself from that world, she said. Then, in 2016, she read a 1991 news article that compelled her to go public: It said Manos had groped students in the 1980s.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A Flood of #MeToo Stories in Yoga\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]\"W[/dropcap]e are, I believe, just beginning to see the impact on the yoga community of this #MeToo moment,” said Shannon Roche, chief operating officer of Yoga Alliance, \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Us/Our_History\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a voluntary registry\u003c/a> believed to be the industry’s largest credentialing body. “There is a long history of sexual misconduct and of abuse-of-power situations in the yoga community. We also know that, like many other communities, yoga has many times tried to keep those stories in the family.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/search/projectid:40564-Yoga-and-MeToo\">Read More Documents in KQED's Investigation\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Some of those stories became public in December 2017 when a well-known yoga teacher and activist, Rachel Brathen, also known as Yoga Girl, released \u003ca href=\"http://rachelbrathen.com/metoo-yoga-stories/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more than 300 accounts\u003c/a> she received in response to a callout for #MeToo incidents. They included rape, groping, inappropriate touching, assault and harassment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody knows that there are all these allegations out there. Why are these men still gracing the covers of yoga magazines? Why are they still headlining festivals? Why are they still out there leading teacher trainings, telling young women how to enter this practice?” Brathen told KQED. “It's very, very infuriating.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To date, Brathen has received between 500 and 1,000 #MeToo stories worldwide. The most stories she got from the U.S. were about incidents that happened in California, while New York was second.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In nearly half of the accounts, an attacker wasn’t named; but in those that did, some named the same teacher, said Brathen. Following legal advice, she removed details that could ID the accused.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/p/BcXH1GXFrfr/\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The #MeToo stories “shattered the yoga world,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/yoga-girl-rachel-brathen-collects-more-than-300-metoo-yoga-stories-the-community-responds?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=story1&utm_campaign=myyj_12192017\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote\u003c/a> Yoga Journal. Roche said the accounts were “heartbreaking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A thread through many of them was “that teachers would take advantage of the inherent power dynamic in the teacher-student relationship,” she said, leaving students feeling “exploited and taken advantage of.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some cases of sexual abuse involving high-profile yoga teachers have gone public, such as that of \u003ca href=\"https://30for30podcasts.com/bikram/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bikram Choudhury\u003c/a>, founder of the California-based Bikram Yoga empire who was accused by multiple women of rape (he was never charged), according to \u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bikram-yoga-warrant-20170524-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Associated Press\u003c/a>, and that of the now-deceased \u003ca href=\"https://thewalrus.ca/yogas-culture-of-sexual-abuse-nine-women-tell-their-stories/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Krishna Pattabhi Jois\u003c/a>, who popularized Ashtanga yoga and was accused by nine women of sexual assault. Many others remain shrouded in secrecy and so-called whisper networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'[Yoga's] been a bit\u003c/strong> of a hunting ground.'\u003ccite> Matthew Remski, a yoga teacher, trainer and culture critic\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Yoga Alliance, formed in the late 1990s, issued a new sexual misconduct policy and procedures for handling these cases earlier this year, but the group declined to share the number of such complaints it had previously received.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's (yoga) been a bit of a hunting ground,” said Matthew Remski, a yoga teacher, trainer and culture critic who has written about sexual abuse in the community. “Because of the dominance hierarchies, the pedagogy, the implied consent -- the general sense that the practitioner is there to have their body perfected or to perfect their body and that they are going to submit or surrender to the instructions so that can be so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those have been dominant themes,” he added. “And you know, sexual assault is about power -- it's not about sex.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘Anyone Can Be a Teacher’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he yoga industry has experienced dramatic growth in the U.S.: Over 36 million people practiced nationwide in 2016, skyrocketing from 16.5 million in 2004, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Portals/0/2016%20Yoga%20in%20America%20Study%20RESULTS.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yoga in America Study\u003c/a>. Yoga was a $16 billion industry in 2016, shooting up from $10 billion in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yoga Alliance said as of Aug. 31, it had nearly 92,000 registered yoga teachers -- surging from 9,700 in 2004 -- and 6,355 registered yoga schools, jumping from 280 that same year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690327\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 597px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11690327\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"597\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut.jpg 597w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut-160x118.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut-240x177.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut-375x277.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut-520x384.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screenshot from Yoga Alliance’s social credentialing web page. \u003ccite>(Yoga Alliance)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But that growth has not been accompanied by much oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yoga teachers aren’t licensed in the U.S. (In some states like Oklahoma, instructors of teacher training programs have their qualifications approved as part of a school’s licensure). No state agency, such as a \u003ca href=\"http://www.mbc.ca.gov/CONSUMERS/COMPLAINTS/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">medical board\u003c/a>, oversees instructors, disciplines or investigates them, or defines their practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roche said that, to her knowledge, there is no federal regulation of yoga.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anyone can be a yoga teacher. Anybody could just open a studio and start teaching yoga. They don't have to have any credentials whatsoever. They could have read a book on yoga,” said Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D. and physical therapist, who has been teaching yoga in the Bay Area since 1972.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is no accountability, professional accountability of yoga teachers in the United States,” she added. “All you need to be a yoga teacher in the United States of America is students.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690328\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 350px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690328\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"257\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut.jpg 594w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut-160x118.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut-240x177.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut-375x276.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut-520x383.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screenshot from Yoga Alliance’s social credentialing web page. Yoga teacher training programs help studios turn a profit, said Gary Kissiah, a lawyer, yoga philosophy teacher and author. “Many studios have teacher training programs now and it's almost essential for their economic survival. A lot of studios break even and it's the yoga teacher training programs that really put them over the line into profitability so that's hugely important,” he said. \u003ccite>(Yoga Alliance)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Laura Camp, owner of Flying Studios in Oakland, said the yoga industry was in its adolescence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's almost like, I'm going to say, snake-oil salesmen -- you know, before medicine was codified in the Old West -- and people could just put a shingle up and say I do this,” Camp said. “The seminal crisis of this industry right now is sexual abuse and that has to stop.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oversight does exist in a few states. Minnesota, Oklahoma, Washington and Wisconsin actively regulate yoga teacher training programs, according to Yoga Alliance and a KQED analysis. California typically regulates schools that offer such programs as part of a broader portfolio of study -- currently, that number stands at about 15, according to the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://app.dca.ca.gov/bppe/view-voc-names.asp?program_keyword=yoga+&city=&Submit=Search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Yoga Alliance leadership \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Learn/Article_Archive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fought state regulatory efforts\u003c/a>, persevering in at least 11 states. The group said in 2016 that it \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Portals/0/YA%20Position%20Paper%20on%20Govt%20Regulation_Board%20Approved%20June%203%202016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">opposed\u003c/a> licensing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Potential harms of government oversight include the burden of fees and rules on the industry’s many small businesses, Yoga Alliance said. And though licensing may serve “as a form of quality assurance,” defining what a yoga teacher must teach would exclude some practices and “stifle creativity,” the group said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked if this stance reflected the position of the new Yoga Alliance leadership, which came onboard in May 2017, the group said it was refining its stance but generally opposed regulation specifically targeting the practice or teaching of yoga.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leading yoga experts were split on government oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Regulation and oversight would have consequences for people who have been truly doing not just unethical behavior but what is actually illegal behavior with their student,” said Lasater, whose credentials include C-IAYT (IAYT certified yoga therapist) and E-RYT-500 (experienced registered yoga teacher, 500 hours of training). “A lack of credentialing creates an arena where almost anything goes, from dangerous adjustments, to teachers with little or no training, to the possibility of major boundary crossings -- sexual, physical and emotional.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'It doesn't matter\u003c/strong> if you have a certificate to teach yoga if ... you cannot be prevented from teaching.'\u003ccite> Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., physical therapist and yoga teacher\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Roche said she didn’t think a lack of government oversight had left the door open to sexual misconduct, but thought Yoga Alliance not having a scope of practice and an updated code of conduct in place -- it’s working on both now -- did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In its earlier years, Yoga Alliance maybe did fall a little bit short,” she said. “I don't think anybody envisioned that it would become ... in lieu of government regulation, the self-regulating body for the industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some dispute that it is: Adhering to any Yoga Alliance standards, codes, \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Become_a_Member/Member_Overview/Standards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">guidelines\u003c/a> for teacher training programs -- even registering with the group -- is voluntary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn't matter if you have a certificate to teach yoga if ... you cannot be prevented from teaching,” Lasater said. “You see what a mess it is? It's a mess.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many studios and teachers elect to opt out of the Yoga Alliance world, said \u003ca href=\"http://garykissiah.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gary Kissiah\u003c/a>, a lawyer, yoga philosophy teacher and author. “Teachers can certainly open yoga studios and teachers can teach without having any association with Yoga Alliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kissiah, who in January \u003ca href=\"http://garykissiah.com/general/lets-clean-up-our-yoga-community-now-take-a-stand-stop-the-crap/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published a guide\u003c/a> for studios on dealing with sexual misconduct, said he was skeptical that government regulation could solve the problem and felt effective change would come from the ground up. A first step: educating students about what is proper conduct by teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"These teachers basically conned them into thinking it’s part of their spiritual development, a part of the spiritual practice, a part of the tradition -- all these sorts of things,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kissiah wrote in his guide that yoga could be lost if “we allow it to collapse into ethical and sexual scandals, watered-down physical education classes and commercial exploitation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If this fire just keeps burning out of control, at some point, the states are going to say we need to step in here and do something,” he told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘I Wish I Had Come Forward. ... He’s Still Doing This’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]C[/dropcap]harlotte Bell attended a yoga workshop for back pain in San Francisco in February 1988 at the Iyengar Yoga Institute. She said it included a who’s who of teachers, Manos among them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bell, then 32, was doing a variation of downward dog: In the pose, a practitioner’s chest is parallel to the floor -- with their legs shooting straight down from their hips -- and their hands on the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s when, Bell said, Manos groped her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He came up to me from behind, put his hands on my collarbone and swept his hands over my whole front body right over my breasts,” she said. “I was stunned at first. It was like, ‘What? Did he really just do that?’ And then immediately -- because I was this starry-eyed newer student and he's this well-known and well-respected teacher -- immediately I started doubting it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manos did not recognize nor was he familiar with Bell, his spokesman said. No complaint was ever filed, he said, and Manos denied that any adjustment he may have made was inappropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690359\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690359\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-800x531.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-800x531.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-1200x797.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-1180x784.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-960x638.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-240x159.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-375x249.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-520x345.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut.jpg 1429w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charlotte Bell demonstrating downward dog pose at the wall. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Charlotte Bell)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bell said she buried the incident, but in fall 1989 she heard rumors about other sexual misconduct allegations against Manos -- some that became the subject of a 1991 \u003ca href=\"https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/ad65794f-8422-4f28-9a69-2259a6f5ad3c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expose in West\u003c/a>, a now-defunct magazine then published by the (San Jose) Mercury News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allegations had first surfaced against Manos in 1987. He told a representative of the \u003ca href=\"https://iyisf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco\u003c/a> that it wouldn’t happen again, wrote reporter Bob Frost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More allegations were reported in 1989 and the institute suspended him from teaching in October of that year, Frost wrote. (Frost said there were no corrections to the article in which he quoted Manos as saying: “Though there are inaccuracies in the statements made in this article I do recognize the gravity of the subject matter.”) No criminal charges were filed against Manos, Frost wrote. KQED didn’t find any civil or criminal charges either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>B.K.S. Iyengar, who is “universally acknowledged as the modern master of yoga,” according to the \u003ca href=\"https://iynaus.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States\u003c/a> (IYNAUS), asked the community to forgive Manos, Frost wrote. In October 1990, the S.F. institute’s board of directors voted to reinstate him, Frost wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesman for Manos said the West article was inaccurate, saying Manos wasn’t suspended but voluntarily left (he said he didn’t know the reason for his departure) and didn’t seek reinstatement but was invited to return. He also said Manos denied past and current allegations of sexual misconduct. He didn’t know why Manos hadn’t sought a correction to Frost’s article if he believed there were inaccuracies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lasater, who said she was on the board of directors at the time, told KQED she resigned from it after the vote. She said she personally knew of up to five allegations against Manos -- and that she was in a room where he admitted to the sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a board member’s responsibility to keep our students safe,” she said. “I wasn’t convinced ... that this wasn’t going to happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11667323/in-california-trying-to-end-the-silence-in-the-wake-of-metoo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In California, Trying to End the Silence in the Wake of #MeToo\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>West filed a police report in March 2018; the San Diego Police Department said it determined the incident to be a misdemeanor. The case was not forwarded to the city attorney for prosecution because it fell outside the statute of limitations, police said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West also filed a complaint against Manos with IYNAUS, in which she included corroborating statements from four people who she’d told over the years about the alleged incident. When KQED asked Manos for comment about West’s allegations, his representative shared his May 15 statement to IYNAUS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have devoted 42 years of my life to teaching and educating tens of thousands of students in a professional and ethical manner,” he wrote. “I categorically deny Ms. West’s allegations, but still feel horrible that a student of mine has these feelings.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manos said West was a student over many years: “It does not make sense to me why she would continue to take my classes if she supposedly felt uncomfortable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am shocked that any adjustment I may have provided to Ms. West in a classroom filled with 50 students has been characterized by her as an ‘assault’ of a sexual nature,” he said, noting that he asks students if he can touch them before making any hands-on adjustments. “That is a very serious accusation and one I do not take lightly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'I am shocked \u003c/strong>that any adjustment I may have provided...in a classroom filled with 50 students has been characterized by her as an ‘assault’ of a sexual nature.'\u003ccite> Manouso Manos, yoga teacher accused of assault\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Bell, 63, a yoga teacher and writer/editor who lives in Salt Lake City, said she wrote about the alleged groping in \u003ca href=\"https://www.huggermugger.com/blog/2013/teacher-student-relationship-2/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2013\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://catalystmagazine.net/yoga-teacher-student-relationship/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2017\u003c/a>. But she never named Manos, thinking he’d taken responsibility and wasn’t doing it anymore, nor did she file a police report or complaint with a yoga body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn't come forward until now -- until I found out that indeed he was still doing this and the incident was strikingly similar to what happened to me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bell said another person in the yoga community connected her to West.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Damn, I wish I had come forward” sooner, she said. “When I heard her story, I felt like, wow, he's still doing this, and maybe I could have helped. So I felt bad ... that I didn’t say anything all those years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West wasn’t upset with Bell for not saying anything -- but she was upset with the national Iyengar yoga association (IYNAUS).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They knew that he'd been at this\" for decades, West said. “We weren't forewarned that essentially this predator was in our midst and we weren't able to make an informed decision as to whether or not we were even going to walk into his class. ... Why didn't we all know about this?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A third woman told KQED Manos slipped his hands inside her bra and massaged her breasts while she was in a resting pose during a 1986 class in New York – an account shared in the Frost article. She wrote California Iyengar yoga leaders in 1990 after she learned Manos would attend an upcoming convention in San Diego despite the sexual misconduct allegations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonnie Anthony, chair of the convention’s coordinating committee, replied in a \u003ca href=\"https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/263a106c-e0f6-404d-8e41-ba0862ec07be\">May 7, 1990, letter\u003c/a>, saying she was “willing to give him this one more chance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was our recommendation to Mr. Iyengar (and he agreed) to keep Manouso in a low profile at the Convention,” Anthony wrote. “Manouso has a problem, much like alcoholism. He has openly admitted it to Mr. Iyengar and to others and is in therapy, along with his wife, Rita.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED contacted Anthony, sharing with her the May 7 letter plus one the woman sent in response dated May 27 and an earlier one to Lasater from April 18, 1990. Anthony replied: \"The matter re: Manouso was settled many years ago and I have nothing additional to add to the record.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manos' spokesman denied the 1986 allegation and said he doesn't have anything to say about the letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>IYNAUS declined to answer KQED’s questions about its current Manos investigation or past allegations involving him, citing confidentiality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the San Francisco Iyengar institute’s handling of the previous allegations against Manos, Brian Hogencamp, president of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Northern California, said he did not know or have additional information to make a comment. Manos is not a teacher at the S.F. institute; he plays an unpaid, external, advisory role to the teachers of one program, Hogencamp said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Donna Farhi, a yoga instructor since 1982 who was on the board of Yoga Journal in the late 1980s, said by email that the publication got letters around that time from several women, unknown to each other and from different states, alleging Manos had “sexually molested” them in class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We made the decision not to feature him in the magazine, or to allow his name to appear in any advertising that might be purchased by someone hosting him,” said Farhi, who is helping Yoga Alliance draft a code of conduct for teachers and is an author of five books, including one on ethics for yoga teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farhi said she knew of West’s and Bell’s allegations, and they showed how students could be abused in class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When students are in positions where they can’t even see each other, it’s almost impossible for these women to get substantive evidence from others that these incidents did indeed happen,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>'We’re Not the Yoga Police'\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen sexual misconduct or abuse does happen in yoga, people don’t have many ways to report it -- except for going to the police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kinoyoga.com/metoo/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In a December 2017 post\u003c/a> sharing her #MeToo experience of being sexually assaulted by a teacher, international yoga instructor Kino MacGregor said she reported the attack to Yoga Alliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They replied with a standardized email saying that they could take no action. It made me so mad because it felt like there was no accountability in the yoga world,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'We’re not\u003c/strong> becoming the yoga police.'\u003ccite> Shannon Roche, chief operating officer of Yoga Alliance\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Roche said it was awful to see Yoga Alliance being called out in that story, but added, “I'm glad she did.” The group separated policies for handling sexual misconduct from other grievances; Roche said they needed to be treated with more sensitivity and care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not law enforcement, unfortunately,” she added, echoing a line in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Yoga/Article_Archive/Shannon_Roche_Addresses_Sexual_Misconduct\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video\u003c/a> to the membership in which she said, “We’re not becoming the yoga police.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don't have the same resources that they do, and so we won't be able to take the same kind of action that law enforcement would,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The national Iyengar yoga association, which formed in 1991, investigates complaints of ethical violations, including sexual misconduct, said Manju Vachher, chair of the group’s ethics committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The committee recommends sanctions to the executive council, if necessary, Vachher said. Information is shared with the parties involved and occasionally with the executive council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Your interest in exploring how the yoga community is responding to the ‘Me Too Movement’ is important,” Vachher said in an email. “I am not able to do an interview or discuss any cases due to the confidentiality issues. During and after any investigative process, we uphold strict standards of privacy for all parties ...”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vachher declined to answer questions about the number of complaints made against Manos to IYNAUS since the late 1980s allegations arose and how many teachers the group has sanctioned over sexual misconduct complaints (and what the sanctions are for such violations).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West doesn’t think the committee can be an independent arbiter of Manos, who is on the association’s senior council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They're just one arm of an organization -- the same organization giving him these accolades and awards,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>'He Felt That I Needed to Feel More Into My Body’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter moving to Oakland from L.A. in 2016, Deisha Smith had left some business problems behind and was looking to make friends in her new home. She thought yoga teacher training would be one way to do that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, Smith said things felt great: Her mentor at \u003ca href=\"http://www.piedmontyoga.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Piedmont Yoga\u003c/a> in Berkeley and Oakland, Zubin Shroff, dubbed her the “minister of joy” for sharing uplifting news items. After her one-on-one sessions began with Shroff in fall 2016, however, things took a turn: She said he had her meet him at his West Berkeley condo, where they discussed personal things about her life -- rarely yoga. Finding the experience odd, she eventually stopped going.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/futureofyou/438664/what-happens-when-metoo-stories-reignite-old-trauma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What Happens When #MeToo Stories Reignite Old Trauma\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>After a short break, Smith said, Shroff reached out, saying they should restart the sessions. And, she should let him give her a massage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He felt that I needed to feel more into my body and that would involve him doing massage. Shiatsu massage. I've never had shiatsu massage,” said Smith, 40, who works in financing and funding for small businesses. “I didn't even look it up -- but that's how trusting I was of the situation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith said the sessions in February and March 2017 were “all massage that got increasingly uncomfortable,” on a futon mattress. Unlike before, there was no conversation. They were both clothed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"In the fifth (final) session, he spent the majority of the time massaging my butt and groin,” she said in a June 2017 statement to the Berkeley Police Department. “He literally massaged my butt and innermost part of my groin, as close as he could possibly be without physically touching my actual vagina.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She thought the shiatsu was “extremely weird and uncomfortable, but just part of the procedure,” she said in her police statement. “He was my instructor so the last thing I expected was for him to do anything inappropriate.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about Smith’s allegation, Shroff said in an email that he did not touch anyone inappropriately. In that same correspondence dated March 1, Shroff said he was no longer the studio’s director and noted it was “the end of a prolonged transition phase” where he had “been stepping back from directing the studio and teaching.” (Piedmont Yoga is a storied Bay Area yoga institution that has a checkered past with one of its founders, Rodney Yee, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/fashion/weddings/07Vows.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">marrying\u003c/a> a \u003ca href=\"http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/12023/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">student\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.self.com/story/yoga-sex-scandals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">having sexual relationships\u003c/a> with \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Yoga-guru-in-compromising-position-Celebrity-2836809.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">other students\u003c/a>, according to various media reports.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith wasn’t the only student getting massage from Shroff: Sarah Shimazaki said she had about 10 shiatsu sessions at Shroff’s condo starting in March 2017, paying about $40 for each one. She said the shiatsu was a “positive” experience that helped her where talk therapy hadn’t, and Shroff never touched her inappropriately.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11642818/sexual-abuse-in-the-yoga-community-share-your-story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sexual Abuse in the Yoga Community: Share Your Story\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Another student, who didn’t want to be identified, said Shroff told her during a one-on-one session at his condo in December 2016 that he offered shiatsu “at no cost” to students. She declined and said she later wondered, “ ‘Why is he offering me a free massage?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought he was creeping on the people he was attracted to or the people who somehow appeared to be vulnerable,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith reported the massage to two teachers in the program and to the police. One of the teachers, Leslie Howard, told police she didn’t know Shroff was offering massage to students, nor had she heard of him providing massage sessions to any other students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she asked him about the massage, Howard said Shroff told her: “I totally get it, I won't do this anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My thought, my feeling about Zubin is his heart is in the right place,” Howard said. “He has let so many people who can't afford yoga programs do the program for little to no money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard also said that when she asked Smith if Shroff had touched her inappropriately, Smith said “no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shroff was a \u003ca href=\"http://www.ohashiatsu.org/us/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">certified ohashiatsu consultant\u003c/a> from 2011-13, according to the New York-based Ohashi International Ltd, which also said he graduated from the institute’s six-level curriculum program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Shroff didn’t have a license to perform massage in Berkeley, said Matthai Chakko, assistant to the city manager. Nor was he certified with the California Massage Therapy Council (which said such ohashiatsu credentials would not qualify someone to get certification with the organization).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California doesn’t have state licensing for massage, but the vast majority of its cities and counties have massage therapy ordinances. While certification with CAMTC is voluntary, cities are required by state law to accept it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley authorities opened a code enforcement case regarding Shroff’s lack of massage and business licenses. In late June, Shroff was sent a notice of violation, which serves as a warning to encourage compliance, Chakko said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the scheduled site inspection this week at his Berkeley condo, Mr. Shroff stated he has relinquished his part-ownership with Piedmont Yoga and no longer conducts any business within the City. Code Enforcement verified that his unit is vacant and actively listed for sale,” Chakko wrote on July 20.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The case is now closed,” Chakko said. “Should new information arise, or if we find future violations with his involvement, we will pick up where we left off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chakko said Shroff wasn’t penalized over the zoning violation, noting it was the city’s initial contact and the goal is to bring people into voluntary compliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11691888/yoga-and-metoo-i-trusted-yoga-so-i-trusted-him\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more about this investigation on The Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101867191/reports-of-sexual-misconduct-expose-lack-of-oversight-in-yoga-industry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum discusses KQED’s findings about sexual abuse in the yoga community.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Berkeley police forwarded Smith’s case with a charge of misdemeanor sexual battery to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, which declined to prosecute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard recalled Smith as a student who didn’t participate as much in the beginning of the program but got more engaged over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She did a stellar job in her student teaching class. ... I was just like, ‘Wow,’” Howard said. But when Howard went to Shroff to advocate for Smith at one point, she said he told her Smith wasn’t “participating in his class at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shimazaki said Shroff told her about the police investigation in June 2017; the next month, she said, he spoke with her and others about transferring the business to them. In early August 2018, Shimazaki said Shroff would be transferring the business to her and another student, though it wasn’t yet complete; she said he would assist as an adviser. On Friday, she said she wouldn’t be taking over. Shroff didn’t reply to an inquiry last week about who owned the business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The transfer had nothing to do with Smith’s allegation, Shroff said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith closes her police statement saying: “I do not want this to happen to anyone else. It was as though he was taking advantage of his role as the instructor to engage in the inappropriate massage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘We Cannot Rely on Karma Alone’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ome people become dedicated to yoga “at a time of a lot of disruption in their life,” making it imperative that studios offer a safe space for students to practice, said Sarah Herrington, program administrator for \u003ca href=\"https://bellarmine.lmu.edu/yoga/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the yoga studies program\u003c/a> at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To help do that, Roche said Yoga Alliance was recommending studios \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/timesup-metoo-ending-sexual-abuse-in-the-yoga-community\">set up reporting processes\u003c/a>. That’s what Kissiah, the lawyer and yoga philosophy teacher, thinks will make an impact -- but right now is “absolutely lacking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studios should have a code of conduct and a hotline or an email address where students can contact an independent ethics committee, he said. “That recommendation is really nothing other than applying what's very common in corporate America to the world of yoga studios.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What most studios have done is either nothing or they have referred to the ethical code in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/5-reasons-know-patanjalis-yoga-sutra\">Yoga Sutras\u003c/a>,” which is general and doesn't provide “guidance in the modern context,” he said. “Often what happens is one of these situations arises and there's this huge panic because they simply don't have the structure or the means to deal with it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrington urged studios to post a code of ethics and have a place to report abuse. “We cannot rely on karma alone,” she \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/opinion/yoga-code-of-ethics-bikram-choudhury.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote in a 2017 New York Times op-ed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690335\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690335\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deisha Smith alleges her yoga mentor groped her during a teacher training program in the East Bay. \u003ccite>(Samantha Shanahan/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Smith, such a reporting process didn’t exist -- and it’s part of the reason she wanted to share her story: to push for this kind of change. Her alleged assailant also was the head of the studio, complicating her reporting of his behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shroff said mediation was offered and he would have attended; Smith said she was initially interested but changed her mind due to her experience in college after she was raped. She said she didn't get anything from mediation then and questioned if the teachers would take on the person paying them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West had the same concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt if I went against Manos I would be going against a big organization ... against the Iyengar family themselves” because of his close ties to B.K.S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar, West said. “There will be a sense of betrayal. ... that I'm betraying Iyengar yoga and I'm betraying the Iyengar family.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘It Was a Bloodbath’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ome people in the yoga community have taken a hard stand on dealing with sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Camp, owner of Flying Studios in Oakland, has twice fired teachers over sexual harassment allegations, which almost put her out of business -- both times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a huge backlash and a huge loss of income and a huge loss of community,” she said after the first dismissal. “Open letter on my Facebook about how I needed to hire this person back or these students would never come back. It was a bloodbath. And then it happened again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lisa Maria, a yoga instructor in the Bay Area who has written about sexual misconduct in the community, said studios have removed teachers from the schedule following complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In my experience, this seems to be getting better,” Maria said. “People are much more willing to talk about it now, and I think people are seeing responses from studios about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SoulPlay Festivals, which organizes events around yoga, dance, personal growth and more, stresses \u003ca href=\"http://soulplay.co/festival/safety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">safety, touch and consent\u003c/a> at its gatherings: Presenters offer frequent reminders about it, the group has an online form to report misconduct, and staff are on site to handle allegations, said Romi Elan, founder and CEO of SoulPlay Festivals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's that feeling of safety ... is what allows people to open up, open themselves up to having a very profound and deep experience,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690329\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690329 size-complete_open_graph\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-480x1200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-480x1200.jpg 480w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-160x400.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-800x2000.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-1020x2550.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-1180x2950.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-960x2400.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-240x600.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-375x938.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-520x1300.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut.jpg 1250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SoulPlay, which organizes events around yoga, dance, personal growth and more, stresses safety and consent at its gatherings. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of SoulPlay)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other studios and groups haven’t adopted such strategies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sometimes studio owners won't do anything about teachers accused of sexual misconduct because they’re a popular instructor, said Lasater. Or if they do fire them, “then the teacher just goes down the road and teaches somewhere else,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yoga teachers can reinvent themselves over and over and over again because of the ability to move from place to place,” Lisa Maria said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some students have left their studio -- or even given up the practice of yoga -- after misconduct or abuse. The latter was the case for some of the women who responded to KQED’s callout for #MeToo stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrington said she stopped attending classes taught by her favorite teacher after he began sending her sexually explicit messages on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Often what happens is that the student disappears and goes to another community. You lose your community. Because if somebody is running the show, and they're doing the misuse of power, where are you going to go?” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only thing that can stop a teacher who is sexually abusing students is if the studio owner takes action or if the victim goes the legal route, said Lasater. “They (the victim) have to be the one that shoulders all the burden,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yet there’s not much that law enforcement can do: Most sex assault cases don’t make it into the criminal courts, said Kristen Houser, a spokeswoman at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The challenge for prosecutors in pursuing these cases can be convincing jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred, especially when there aren’t other witnesses -- if it happened one on one, which could trigger a “he said/she said” scenario, said Mary Ashley, an assistant district attorney in San Bernardino County whose work has included sexual battery cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” she said. Even if “a jury says, ‘Well, I kind of believe her but I don't totally disbelieve him,’ the law at least criminally will say you have to give favor to the defendant.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘This Happened to Me, and I’m a Teacher’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]L[/dropcap]eaving yoga has been a heartbreaking consideration for Eka Ekong, a yoga teacher in Marin County, over the last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It began, she said, with an unwelcome remark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ekong, 42, of San Rafael, was taking a class in November 2017 at the studio where she worked. She’d just taken her sweatshirt off when the teacher, Allan Nett looked at her, she recalled, and said: “This is what I get to look at the whole time.” (Nett denied saying that, noting he said, “Now I can see you” -- meaning it would help him give her correct adjustments. He said he had no intention of objectifying her body or being sexual.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The comment unnerved Ekong, she said, but she continued with the practice -- though later, she said, he adjusted her legs while she was in the lunge pose of Warrior 2.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He came behind me and put his hands on my legs close to my genitals and he abruptly pulled my legs apart,” she said. “I came out of the pose. I tried to kind of neutralize or equalize because I could feel something was off.” (Nett said given his stature -- 5-foot-3, 120 pounds -- and that at the time he was awaiting an open heart operation, he didn’t have the strength, energy or size to “abruptly” pull her legs apart.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something was off: According to medical records, Ekong's doctor found she’d sustained a leg/groin injury, suffering bruising and soft tissue injuries. A week after the alleged assault, her doctor wrote, she had “significant swelling and several very tender areas where the instructor’s hands were placed as well as the surrounding tissues.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nett, 72, said he asks permission from students before he touches them, and Ekong said she had given him the OK earlier in the class to make adjustments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I put one hand just above the knee on the inner thigh and the other hand above the knee on the outer thigh ... to demonstrate and have the student feel the rotation that the pose requires to bring the hips into alignment,” he said. “So I've got hands above her knee -- one hand on the inside, one hand on the outside -- and I've got a good grip there and I'm starting to roll that thigh backwards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he “thought that she understood the action that I was asking for in the pose as she came up. There was not any kind of indication that she injured herself or that there was injury going on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/series/beyondmetoo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KQED's Series: Beyond #MeToo\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>As of today, Ekong said she still can’t practice yoga. She said she goes weekly to physical and trauma therapies, and sees her doctor every few weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are some days my body just hurts,” she said. “And really basic things are not so basic.” Like putting on shoes. Walking. Straightening her legs. It has also been hard to sit, including cross-legged -- one of the most common poses in yoga.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The emotional wounds run deep, too, for Ekong, who began practicing in 1999 and teaching in 2006.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every day, my close friends, students and peers, they ask me, how are you healing? I don’t know what to tell them,” she wrote to the national Iyengar yoga association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do I tell them at some moments I’m OK and then I’m in tears. How do I explain that this morning I was so angry that I wanted to scream out loud, that I wonder if I’ll ever be able to practice yoga asana again or feel safe as a student in the yoga studio? That I wonder daily if I still want to be a teacher and part of a larger systemic issue that elevates the teacher and lessens the wisdom of the student,” she continued in the letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know if it involves teaching, but yoga will always be a part of my life. But I can’t say what that looks like,” she said. “There’s some part of me that has been taken away that I’m still trying to find again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nett, an instructor of more than 25 years who hasn’t been teaching recently due to his surgery, said he was let go from the studio, which KQED isn’t naming due to Ekong’s concern that it’s her place of employment. The studio said it could not comment on specific employee matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All I can say is, 'Gee whiz, I'm sorry that you got injured in my class.’ But I think there's more to this story than anybody's ever going to know,” he said in an hour-long phone call with KQED, adding that he felt there were enough “little inconsistencies” in Ekong’s description of the injuries that “I really question the truth of it all.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As she has described it, I find it difficult to accept that she was injured. It was possibly a pre-existing weakness, combined with the strong posture of Warrior II that strained,” he said. But he also noted: “There's certainly some truth in it and I'm not saying that she was not injured.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About five years ago, Nett said one of his students complained about inappropriate touch (not of a sexual nature; she just didn’t want to be touched) to a studio owner in Oakland: “I took it to heart,” he said, and modified his behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Touch is an important part of learning, Nett said: “By moving a muscle manually the body understands it, and you don't have to think about it.\" But he has decided to stop offering adjustments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been traumatic. And I'm sure it's traumatic for her,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immediately after the incident, Ekong withdrew from her friends and yoga community. She said she felt like she was wearing a scarlet letter “A,” was somehow to blame for what happened, and that her studio was no longer her home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe src=\"https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fekaette.ekong.5%2Fposts%2F10155956900267272&width=500\" width=\"600\" height=\"290\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allow=\"encrypted-media\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, she knew she had to speak out. She contacted the studio, Central Marin police and the national Iyengar yoga association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s important that you know this is happening, because if this happened to me and I’m a teacher, imagine what’s really happening and people aren’t saying anything,” she recalled telling the studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and Nett said IYNAUS is reviewing her complaint (the group declined to comment about the case, citing confidentiality).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Central Marin police said in an email that there was no mention of sexual assault when Ekong’s report was made, and since it “was not criminal in nature,” it did not meet the criteria for referral to the DA. The matter, police said, was left to the studio to handle; Ekong said she intends to file a supplemental report to police.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘Most Victims Don’t Report’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]H[/dropcap]oward, one of the teachers in the Piedmont Yoga training program, wanted to know why Deisha Smith hadn’t told her about the alleged inappropriate touch by director Zubin Shroff when she reported the massage and when Howard said she had specifically asked about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was completely uncomfortable and I was still dealing with the fact that he did not vaginally insert me. He 'just touched me,'” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A number of the women who contacted KQED with their stories didn’t report right away to law enforcement or others what happened -- or only partially reported it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such behavior isn’t unusual: When sexual misconduct is reported, partial or delayed reporting -- or inconsistencies in such reports -- are “the norm and it should be expected,” said Houser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Through our eyes, that bolsters the validity of complaints,” she added. Few people make prompt complaints, include all of the details, and consistently tell it the same way. “That's not how traumatic events are processed and stored in our bodies and in our brains.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men in the U.S. reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime, only one in 10 women -- and one in 20 men -- filed an official complaint or report to an authority figure, including a police report, according to a January 2018 \u003ca href=\"http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018-National-Study-on-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stop Street Harassment online survey\u003c/a> of 2,000 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most victims don't report, or hold off doing so, for a variety of reasons. But they “all fall under the large umbrella of: They don’t trust the rest of us to respond appropriately,” said Houser.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'I trusted yoga so I trusted him.\u003c/strong> I shouldn't have made that connection.'\u003ccite> a teenager, who says her yoga teacher had sex with her\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Those reasons, she said, include fear of being disbelieved, blamed or having their privacy violated through gossip. Some people fear repercussions in their home life or their social circles, which often include the assailant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People often keep it to themselves, not to mention it's a very confusing thing when somebody that you know and trust violates that trust,” Houser said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked what was holding people back from reporting abuse in yoga, Brathen said: “I think the biggest piece is fear of being alienated from this community that means so much to us.” That community built through yoga, she said, is “sacred” and such an “important part of the practice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘I Trusted Yoga So I Trusted Him’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]“A[/dropcap]re you 18 years old? Holy shit.” That was the first message a Bay Area teenager said that her yoga teacher sent to her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was then 17, in the summer before her first year in college; he was twice her age. She said she had a crush on him and thought he liked her, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next few months, she said her teacher groomed her to have sex with him: In a number of text messages, he said he had something to tell her, but to do that, they had to meet in person and in private. (The teenager, who didn’t want to be identified out of concerns for her privacy and safety, shared the Facebook and text messages with KQED).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690342\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 424px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11690342\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"424\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut.jpg 424w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut-160x105.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut-240x157.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut-375x246.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 424px) 100vw, 424px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He wanted to meet me alone so he could explain why everything had to be so secretive and he would always say it will all make sense once we get to chat in person,” she said. “I am a kid but I'm not dumb. And I knew the obvious reasons, which were that you don't want people to think that you fuck your students and I'm really young.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of his text messages read: “I know I sound like some kind of criminal or something but it would be great if we could hang out in a place that is not so public.” Another one read: “Any place that is low key so we aren’t seen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 601px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11690343\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"601\" height=\"498\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut.jpg 601w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut-160x133.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut-240x199.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut-375x311.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut-520x431.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Early on, she expressed reservations about connecting outside the classroom. She’d blossomed in yoga: It helped ease her anxiety and made her feel safe, capable and independent. “I was convinced that I wanted to be a yoga teacher. It was my whole thing,” she said. “I considered it a big defining part of who I was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he assured her, in text messages, that she could keep coming to classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690355\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690355\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-800x714.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"714\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-800x714.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-160x143.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-1020x910.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-1200x1071.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-1180x1053.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-960x856.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-240x214.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-375x335.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-520x464.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut.jpg 1224w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Eventually, they did meet outside the studio -- a week before her 18th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690348\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690348\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-800x218.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"136\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-800x218.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-160x44.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-240x65.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-375x102.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-520x142.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut.jpg 902w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690349\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690349\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-800x232.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"145\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-800x232.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-160x46.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-240x70.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-375x109.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-520x151.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut.jpg 904w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said he invited her to a bar in a quiet Bay Area community, where he bought her several drinks (she had a fake ID), and then he took her to a hotel, where they smoked hashish. She recalled being “very intoxicated and a little woozy” before they had sex.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a nearly two-hour interview with KQED, the teacher said he didn’t have sex with her and that he left her with two of his friends in the hotel room whom he declined to identify; the police report said it was clear from the text messages that the pair did have a sexual relationship, “however brief,” and no mention was made of his friends. The teen said he didn’t have friends with him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690356\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690356\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"331\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut.jpg 605w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut-240x159.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut-375x249.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut-520x345.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The teacher also said the teenager told him she was 18; she said her birthday -- including year -- was listed on Facebook, and though she at one point told him in a SMS that she was 18, she said she thought he knew her real age and they were both “going to pretend” she was 18. The police also noted that she had not told him her real age but said she was 18.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690364\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690364\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"273\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut.jpg 617w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut-160x87.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut-240x131.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut-375x205.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut-520x284.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After their encounter, she said he left the hotel a short time later but it took months for her to realize what had happened: “I was basically sexually abused and manipulated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt dumb for thinking that because he was my yoga teacher and because he was so much older than me -- because he was my spiritual counselor in some ways -- that he wouldn't take advantage of me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I trusted yoga so I trusted him,” she said. “I shouldn't have made that connection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she came back home from college to the Bay Area, she planned to tell her mom -- only to find out she had gone through her phone and seen the messages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The teen’s mom said she called some studios where he taught to report the teacher; he said one let him go and he assumed it was because of the mother’s calls. Another studio owner said they let him go because of the allegations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The teacher said it had been “one really long hard struggle” after the teen -- who he called “just a fuckin’ girl” -- went to the police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll just say that her mom tried really hard to make my life extremely hard and she succeeded,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of sleep over this and been hurt ... I’ve had to ask some people for support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch3>Have a tip or information to share? You can contact reporter Miranda Leitsinger on the encrypted communications app Signal (650-888-2765) or by email: mleitsinger@kqed.org\u003c/h3>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The teenager decided to come forward with her story after learning that a second student, Leah Tumerman, 36, had accused the teacher of threatening earlier this year that he and his partner should “Bill Cosby her.” Tumerman told police she understood this to mean “he would drug and rape me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tumerman, a longtime student of the teacher, said she became scared of him and his change in personality. The pair had gotten into a conversation about food over text message, and the discussion somehow took a turn, she said. The teacher denied making the comment but said they did argue about food. Tumerman, an artist from Richmond, filed a police report for documentation purposes only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The teen’s case was forwarded to the DA’s office, which declined to prosecute.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘You Have to Face the Shame of Your Complicity’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap] number of women have come forward in recent months to share their accounts of alleged abuse by their yoga teachers -- triggering a growing conversation in the community about sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, Yoga Alliance issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Yoga/Article_Archive/Yoga_Alliance_Statement_on_Sexual_Misconduct_in_Our_Community\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a statement\u003c/a> on sexual misconduct in the yoga community. In January, it released Roche’s video and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Sexual_Misconduct_Resources/Unity_in_Yoga_with_RAINN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">podcast\u003c/a> on the topic, and weeks later published \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Us/Policies/Sexual_Misconduct_Disciplinary_Procedure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sexual misconduct disciplinary procedures\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Us/Policies/Policy_Prohibiting_Sexual_Misconduct\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">policy\u003c/a> on its website. In early September, the group said it could “confirm that we have suspended and revoked credentials under our new policy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In this #MeToo moment, we too must act,” Roche, of Yoga Alliance, said in the video. “There’s a deeply troubling pattern of misconduct within our community, a pattern that touches almost every tradition in modern yoga. To definitively turn the page on that history, we must openly acknowledge the issue of sexual misconduct in yoga.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remski, the yoga teacher and culture critic, said Roche’s message to the yoga community heralded a “sea change moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/p/BmCL66zlrlz/?hl=en&taken-by=yoga_girl\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It puts the entire culture on notice that this is a thing. It's not dirty laundry anymore. It's totally out in the open,” he said. “With one sentence, she implicated the entire culture as having enabled this and that's what hasn't been done yet. ... Nobody has looked at it as a systemic problem -- because when you look at it as a systemic problem, you have to face the shame of your complicity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lasater said she was very supportive of Yoga Alliance’s efforts but felt the community still has a long way to go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If teachers don't have true consequences, what is going to cause them to change their behavior?” she said. “Nothing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brathen, or Yoga Girl, said she was “torn” over Yoga Alliance’s initial solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am still very unclear as to what action will be taken at the end of the day,” she said. “If the worst thing that can happen to you as a perpetrator is that your name gets taken off the website, I don't think that that's going to do a whole lot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In early August, Brathen published her second series of #MeToo stories. She wrote how tough it was to expel the alleged sexual harassers and abusers from the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A Stone, a Token: The New Conversation on Touch Consent\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690330\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Touch consent tokens at Yoga Tree near Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Miranda Leitsinger/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]L[/dropcap]asater and other yoga leaders said they felt students -- particularly women -- were going to be a part of the solution. One sign already? The “touch consent” cards, chips and tokens popping up in studios across the country. Years ago, the first version of those were painted stones, paper clips, even a leaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students would place such an object on top or below their mat to signal if a teacher could touch them, said Remski.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690326\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690326\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-520x693.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yoga teacher Bayley Blackney leads a workshop on touch in Capitola on March 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Miranda Leitsinger/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The yoga room has been a space of implied consent. And that is no longer the case. The politics, the techniques, the methods of consent are now fully part of yoga discourse,” Remski said. “It undoes something profound in the last 100 years of yoga pedagogy, which is the notion that the teachers should decide what the student needs or what they should do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The growing use of the tokens has broader implications, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://video.kqed.org/show/metoo-now-what/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#MeToo, Now What?\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“The #MeToo movement also signifies a solidification of the change in leadership in modern yoga from men to women because those tokens ... are the latest generation of what women started using about 10 or 12 years ago in small studios,” he said. “It's a grass-roots idea that has worked its way up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teachers now typically ask students at the beginning of class to let them know if they want adjustments or not, and some instructors are holding workshops on touch and consent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayley Blackney hosted such a gathering at a studio in Capitola in late March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Touch is something that I’m so passionate about. It’s love language and I am very, very passionate about creating a safe touch,” she said. “Now is the time to really offer this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘I Lost a Large Chunk of My Life’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nger. Anxiety. Depression. Discomfort. Distrust. Empowerment. Exhaustion. Fear. Guilt. Frustration. Insomnia. Isolation. Self-doubt. Tears. Triggering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The women that KQED interviewed experienced all of this and more as they grappled with what they said their teachers did to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes I'm really angry because I feel like I lost a large chunk of my life living in a cloud that I didn't realize I was in until I got out of it,” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has experienced panic attacks, anxiety and days where she couldn’t get out of bed. Thirty-one percent of women and 20 percent of men felt anxiety or depression after experiencing sexual harassment and assault, according to Stop Street Harassment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith still doesn’t have her teacher certificate, although Shroff said in a July 17 email that she’d met the requirements. Smith said she has an outstanding payment that she can’t bring herself to pay because she'd regret \"paying to be abused.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the teen, she said it’s been a hard reckoning for her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was fresh out of high school and I slept with someone literally twice my age -- like halfway between me and my parents,” she said. “It took my innocence away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tumerman, who alleged the same teacher involved in the teen’s case had threatened to “Bill Cosby” her, hasn’t returned to yoga. Her last time was in his class, after the threat.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'Yoga isn't a safe space\u003c/strong> for me anymore. And it used to be ... What had been my life is now no longer my life.'\u003ccite> Ann West\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“I was still processing the change, my new understanding of my teacher,” she said in explaining why she attended the class. “I practiced with my eyes closed the entire time. ... I couldn't look at him. The sound of his voice was making me shake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I did my practice and I rolled up my mat and left the room. And I haven't seen him since,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ekong said: “My life is forever changed.” She has decided to leave the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not home. I can’t heal here,” she said. \"I don't want to worry about running into him or students asking when are you going to come back to teach.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for West, she said she has removed herself to the “outskirts” of the Iyengar yoga community and attends classes only with the one teacher she can trust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yoga isn't a safe space for me anymore. And it used to be,” she said. “I would take workshops and go to conventions and travel to India. And none of that is happening anymore. I have no interest in it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What had been my life is now no longer my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Edited by David Weir and Patricia Yollin\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"A KQED investigation found that the yoga community is struggling to rein in sexual misconduct and abuse in its ranks.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1539282847,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":237,"wordCount":10600},"headData":{"title":"#MeToo Unmasks the Open Secret of Sexual Abuse in Yoga | KQED","description":"A KQED investigation found that the yoga community is struggling to rein in sexual misconduct and abuse in its ranks.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"#MeToo Unmasks the Open Secret of Sexual Abuse in Yoga","datePublished":"2018-09-07T20:13:19.000Z","dateModified":"2018-10-11T18:34:07.000Z","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","isAccessibleForFree":"Y","publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://www.kqed.org/#organization","name":"KQED","url":"https://www.kqed.org","logo":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"authorsData":[{"type":"authors","id":"11310","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"11310","found":true},"name":"Miranda Leitsinger","firstName":"Miranda","lastName":"Leitsinger","slug":"mleitsinger","email":"mleitsinger@KQED.org","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":["news"],"title":"KQED Contributor","bio":"Miranda Leitsinger has worked in journalism as a reporter and editor since 2000, including seven years at The Associated Press in locales such as Cambodia and Puerto Rico, four years at NBC News Digital in New York and 2.5 years at CNN.com International in Hong Kong. Major stories she has covered included sexual abuse in the yoga community, the rise of women in local politics post-2016 election, the struggle over LGBTQ inclusion in the Boy Scouts, aftermath of the 2004 and 2011 tsunamis, the Aurora movie theater attack, the Newtown school shooting, Superstorm Sandy and the Boston Marathon bombing.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/cdd00de7be92aab3b7fd3d915e02033d?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":"mimileitsinger","facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"arts","roles":["author"]},{"site":"news","roles":["subscriber"]},{"site":"futureofyou","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"stateofhealth","roles":["editor"]}],"headData":{"title":"Miranda Leitsinger | KQED","description":"KQED Contributor","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/cdd00de7be92aab3b7fd3d915e02033d?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/cdd00de7be92aab3b7fd3d915e02033d?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/mleitsinger"}],"imageData":{"ogImageSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/yogaharassment_final001-qut-1020x546.jpg","width":1020,"height":546,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twImageSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/yogaharassment_final001-qut-1020x546.jpg","width":1020,"height":546,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twitterCard":"summary_large_image"},"tagData":{"tags":["enterprise","featured","Iyengar","MeToo","sexual abuse","sexual misconduct","the-california-report-featured","yoga"]}},"disqusIdentifier":"11690316 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11690316","disqusUrl":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2018/09/07/metoo-unmasks-the-open-secret-of-sexual-abuse-in-yoga/","disqusTitle":"#MeToo Unmasks the Open Secret of Sexual Abuse in Yoga","audioUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcrmag/2018/09/YogaInvestigationTCRMAG.mp3","audioTrackLength":873,"path":"/news/11690316/metoo-unmasks-the-open-secret-of-sexual-abuse-in-yoga","audioDuration":887000,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Reader advisory: Some accounts of sexual abuse in this story contain explicit details and strong language that some may find upsetting or objectionable.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>nn West was performing an advanced backbend at a yoga workshop when her teacher came over and stroked her breasts and nipples, she said. He did it, she said, in a way “that could only be described as a caress.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'We are, I believe, just beginning to see the impact on the yoga community of this #MeToo moment. \u003c/strong>There is a long history of sexual misconduct and of abuse-of-power situations in the yoga community.'\u003ccite> Shannon Roche, chief operating officer of Yoga Alliance\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Her classmates were rolling back and forth -- no one could have seen the alleged groping by the teacher, West said. “I was amazed, shocked,\" she added. \"I came out of the pose. He quickly got up and walked away and then didn't bother me for the rest of the class.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West shared her story in response to a KQED callout for #MeToo accounts in the Bay Area yoga world. An ensuing investigation revealed a range of allegations by seven women against five teachers: from inappropriate massage to a violating touch in class, from drugging to unlawful sex with a minor. KQED found that the yoga community is struggling to rein in this sexual misconduct and abuse in its ranks. Some experts believe the lack of oversight of teachers and schools is adding to the problems of an industry experiencing explosive growth, where touch and trust are a fundamental part of the practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The women are telling their stories amid a global outcry and reckoning over sexual misconduct and abuse -- the #MeToo movement -- at the highest levels of political office and in many industries, such as film, media and food. The growing number of accounts has forced many businesses and sectors to examine their codes of conduct, reporting processes and handling of bad actors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In yoga, experts and leaders say, that soul-searching is only beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11634433/i-dont-feel-safe-at-work-your-metoo-stories\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">'I Don't Feel Safe At Work': Your #MeToo Stories\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>West, 50, said initially she was in denial about the November 2013 incident in San Diego -- she felt “psychologically shackled” to Iyengar yoga and kept attending classes with San Francisco-based Manouso Manos. Later, she was afraid to come forward with the allegation: afraid she’d be shunned by the Iyengar community for accusing a famous instructor and afraid it would hurt her livelihood as a yoga teacher of nearly two decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that changed in 2015, when West alleged she saw Manos verbally abuse two students in class (which he denied through a spokesman). Though it wasn’t sexual abuse, seeing the experience of the other students was a wake-up call for her to finally distance herself from that world, she said. Then, in 2016, she read a 1991 news article that compelled her to go public: It said Manos had groped students in the 1980s.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A Flood of #MeToo Stories in Yoga\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">\"W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>e are, I believe, just beginning to see the impact on the yoga community of this #MeToo moment,” said Shannon Roche, chief operating officer of Yoga Alliance, \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Us/Our_History\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a voluntary registry\u003c/a> believed to be the industry’s largest credentialing body. “There is a long history of sexual misconduct and of abuse-of-power situations in the yoga community. We also know that, like many other communities, yoga has many times tried to keep those stories in the family.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/search/projectid:40564-Yoga-and-MeToo\">Read More Documents in KQED's Investigation\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Some of those stories became public in December 2017 when a well-known yoga teacher and activist, Rachel Brathen, also known as Yoga Girl, released \u003ca href=\"http://rachelbrathen.com/metoo-yoga-stories/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more than 300 accounts\u003c/a> she received in response to a callout for #MeToo incidents. They included rape, groping, inappropriate touching, assault and harassment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody knows that there are all these allegations out there. Why are these men still gracing the covers of yoga magazines? Why are they still headlining festivals? Why are they still out there leading teacher trainings, telling young women how to enter this practice?” Brathen told KQED. “It's very, very infuriating.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To date, Brathen has received between 500 and 1,000 #MeToo stories worldwide. The most stories she got from the U.S. were about incidents that happened in California, while New York was second.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In nearly half of the accounts, an attacker wasn’t named; but in those that did, some named the same teacher, said Brathen. Following legal advice, she removed details that could ID the accused.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"instagramLink","attributes":{"named":{"instagramId":"BcXH1GXFrfr"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The #MeToo stories “shattered the yoga world,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/yoga-girl-rachel-brathen-collects-more-than-300-metoo-yoga-stories-the-community-responds?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=story1&utm_campaign=myyj_12192017\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote\u003c/a> Yoga Journal. Roche said the accounts were “heartbreaking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A thread through many of them was “that teachers would take advantage of the inherent power dynamic in the teacher-student relationship,” she said, leaving students feeling “exploited and taken advantage of.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some cases of sexual abuse involving high-profile yoga teachers have gone public, such as that of \u003ca href=\"https://30for30podcasts.com/bikram/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bikram Choudhury\u003c/a>, founder of the California-based Bikram Yoga empire who was accused by multiple women of rape (he was never charged), according to \u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bikram-yoga-warrant-20170524-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Associated Press\u003c/a>, and that of the now-deceased \u003ca href=\"https://thewalrus.ca/yogas-culture-of-sexual-abuse-nine-women-tell-their-stories/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Krishna Pattabhi Jois\u003c/a>, who popularized Ashtanga yoga and was accused by nine women of sexual assault. Many others remain shrouded in secrecy and so-called whisper networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'[Yoga's] been a bit\u003c/strong> of a hunting ground.'\u003ccite> Matthew Remski, a yoga teacher, trainer and culture critic\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Yoga Alliance, formed in the late 1990s, issued a new sexual misconduct policy and procedures for handling these cases earlier this year, but the group declined to share the number of such complaints it had previously received.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's (yoga) been a bit of a hunting ground,” said Matthew Remski, a yoga teacher, trainer and culture critic who has written about sexual abuse in the community. “Because of the dominance hierarchies, the pedagogy, the implied consent -- the general sense that the practitioner is there to have their body perfected or to perfect their body and that they are going to submit or surrender to the instructions so that can be so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those have been dominant themes,” he added. “And you know, sexual assault is about power -- it's not about sex.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘Anyone Can Be a Teacher’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>he yoga industry has experienced dramatic growth in the U.S.: Over 36 million people practiced nationwide in 2016, skyrocketing from 16.5 million in 2004, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Portals/0/2016%20Yoga%20in%20America%20Study%20RESULTS.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yoga in America Study\u003c/a>. Yoga was a $16 billion industry in 2016, shooting up from $10 billion in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yoga Alliance said as of Aug. 31, it had nearly 92,000 registered yoga teachers -- surging from 9,700 in 2004 -- and 6,355 registered yoga schools, jumping from 280 that same year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690327\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 597px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11690327\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"597\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut.jpg 597w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut-160x118.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut-240x177.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut-375x277.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.29-AM-qut-520x384.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screenshot from Yoga Alliance’s social credentialing web page. \u003ccite>(Yoga Alliance)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But that growth has not been accompanied by much oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yoga teachers aren’t licensed in the U.S. (In some states like Oklahoma, instructors of teacher training programs have their qualifications approved as part of a school’s licensure). No state agency, such as a \u003ca href=\"http://www.mbc.ca.gov/CONSUMERS/COMPLAINTS/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">medical board\u003c/a>, oversees instructors, disciplines or investigates them, or defines their practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roche said that, to her knowledge, there is no federal regulation of yoga.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anyone can be a yoga teacher. Anybody could just open a studio and start teaching yoga. They don't have to have any credentials whatsoever. They could have read a book on yoga,” said Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D. and physical therapist, who has been teaching yoga in the Bay Area since 1972.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is no accountability, professional accountability of yoga teachers in the United States,” she added. “All you need to be a yoga teacher in the United States of America is students.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690328\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 350px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690328\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"257\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut.jpg 594w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut-160x118.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut-240x177.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut-375x276.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-11.15.38-AM-qut-520x383.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screenshot from Yoga Alliance’s social credentialing web page. Yoga teacher training programs help studios turn a profit, said Gary Kissiah, a lawyer, yoga philosophy teacher and author. “Many studios have teacher training programs now and it's almost essential for their economic survival. A lot of studios break even and it's the yoga teacher training programs that really put them over the line into profitability so that's hugely important,” he said. \u003ccite>(Yoga Alliance)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Laura Camp, owner of Flying Studios in Oakland, said the yoga industry was in its adolescence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's almost like, I'm going to say, snake-oil salesmen -- you know, before medicine was codified in the Old West -- and people could just put a shingle up and say I do this,” Camp said. “The seminal crisis of this industry right now is sexual abuse and that has to stop.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oversight does exist in a few states. Minnesota, Oklahoma, Washington and Wisconsin actively regulate yoga teacher training programs, according to Yoga Alliance and a KQED analysis. California typically regulates schools that offer such programs as part of a broader portfolio of study -- currently, that number stands at about 15, according to the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://app.dca.ca.gov/bppe/view-voc-names.asp?program_keyword=yoga+&city=&Submit=Search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Yoga Alliance leadership \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Learn/Article_Archive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fought state regulatory efforts\u003c/a>, persevering in at least 11 states. The group said in 2016 that it \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Portals/0/YA%20Position%20Paper%20on%20Govt%20Regulation_Board%20Approved%20June%203%202016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">opposed\u003c/a> licensing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Potential harms of government oversight include the burden of fees and rules on the industry’s many small businesses, Yoga Alliance said. And though licensing may serve “as a form of quality assurance,” defining what a yoga teacher must teach would exclude some practices and “stifle creativity,” the group said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked if this stance reflected the position of the new Yoga Alliance leadership, which came onboard in May 2017, the group said it was refining its stance but generally opposed regulation specifically targeting the practice or teaching of yoga.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leading yoga experts were split on government oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Regulation and oversight would have consequences for people who have been truly doing not just unethical behavior but what is actually illegal behavior with their student,” said Lasater, whose credentials include C-IAYT (IAYT certified yoga therapist) and E-RYT-500 (experienced registered yoga teacher, 500 hours of training). “A lack of credentialing creates an arena where almost anything goes, from dangerous adjustments, to teachers with little or no training, to the possibility of major boundary crossings -- sexual, physical and emotional.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'It doesn't matter\u003c/strong> if you have a certificate to teach yoga if ... you cannot be prevented from teaching.'\u003ccite> Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., physical therapist and yoga teacher\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Roche said she didn’t think a lack of government oversight had left the door open to sexual misconduct, but thought Yoga Alliance not having a scope of practice and an updated code of conduct in place -- it’s working on both now -- did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In its earlier years, Yoga Alliance maybe did fall a little bit short,” she said. “I don't think anybody envisioned that it would become ... in lieu of government regulation, the self-regulating body for the industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some dispute that it is: Adhering to any Yoga Alliance standards, codes, \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Become_a_Member/Member_Overview/Standards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">guidelines\u003c/a> for teacher training programs -- even registering with the group -- is voluntary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn't matter if you have a certificate to teach yoga if ... you cannot be prevented from teaching,” Lasater said. “You see what a mess it is? It's a mess.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many studios and teachers elect to opt out of the Yoga Alliance world, said \u003ca href=\"http://garykissiah.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gary Kissiah\u003c/a>, a lawyer, yoga philosophy teacher and author. “Teachers can certainly open yoga studios and teachers can teach without having any association with Yoga Alliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kissiah, who in January \u003ca href=\"http://garykissiah.com/general/lets-clean-up-our-yoga-community-now-take-a-stand-stop-the-crap/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published a guide\u003c/a> for studios on dealing with sexual misconduct, said he was skeptical that government regulation could solve the problem and felt effective change would come from the ground up. A first step: educating students about what is proper conduct by teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"These teachers basically conned them into thinking it’s part of their spiritual development, a part of the spiritual practice, a part of the tradition -- all these sorts of things,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kissiah wrote in his guide that yoga could be lost if “we allow it to collapse into ethical and sexual scandals, watered-down physical education classes and commercial exploitation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If this fire just keeps burning out of control, at some point, the states are going to say we need to step in here and do something,” he told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘I Wish I Had Come Forward. ... He’s Still Doing This’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">C\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>harlotte Bell attended a yoga workshop for back pain in San Francisco in February 1988 at the Iyengar Yoga Institute. She said it included a who’s who of teachers, Manos among them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bell, then 32, was doing a variation of downward dog: In the pose, a practitioner’s chest is parallel to the floor -- with their legs shooting straight down from their hips -- and their hands on the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s when, Bell said, Manos groped her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He came up to me from behind, put his hands on my collarbone and swept his hands over my whole front body right over my breasts,” she said. “I was stunned at first. It was like, ‘What? Did he really just do that?’ And then immediately -- because I was this starry-eyed newer student and he's this well-known and well-respected teacher -- immediately I started doubting it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manos did not recognize nor was he familiar with Bell, his spokesman said. No complaint was ever filed, he said, and Manos denied that any adjustment he may have made was inappropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690359\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690359\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-800x531.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-800x531.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-1200x797.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-1180x784.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-960x638.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-240x159.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-375x249.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut-520x345.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/bell-qut.jpg 1429w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charlotte Bell demonstrating downward dog pose at the wall. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Charlotte Bell)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bell said she buried the incident, but in fall 1989 she heard rumors about other sexual misconduct allegations against Manos -- some that became the subject of a 1991 \u003ca href=\"https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/ad65794f-8422-4f28-9a69-2259a6f5ad3c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expose in West\u003c/a>, a now-defunct magazine then published by the (San Jose) Mercury News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allegations had first surfaced against Manos in 1987. He told a representative of the \u003ca href=\"https://iyisf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco\u003c/a> that it wouldn’t happen again, wrote reporter Bob Frost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More allegations were reported in 1989 and the institute suspended him from teaching in October of that year, Frost wrote. (Frost said there were no corrections to the article in which he quoted Manos as saying: “Though there are inaccuracies in the statements made in this article I do recognize the gravity of the subject matter.”) No criminal charges were filed against Manos, Frost wrote. KQED didn’t find any civil or criminal charges either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>B.K.S. Iyengar, who is “universally acknowledged as the modern master of yoga,” according to the \u003ca href=\"https://iynaus.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States\u003c/a> (IYNAUS), asked the community to forgive Manos, Frost wrote. In October 1990, the S.F. institute’s board of directors voted to reinstate him, Frost wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesman for Manos said the West article was inaccurate, saying Manos wasn’t suspended but voluntarily left (he said he didn’t know the reason for his departure) and didn’t seek reinstatement but was invited to return. He also said Manos denied past and current allegations of sexual misconduct. He didn’t know why Manos hadn’t sought a correction to Frost’s article if he believed there were inaccuracies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lasater, who said she was on the board of directors at the time, told KQED she resigned from it after the vote. She said she personally knew of up to five allegations against Manos -- and that she was in a room where he admitted to the sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a board member’s responsibility to keep our students safe,” she said. “I wasn’t convinced ... that this wasn’t going to happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11667323/in-california-trying-to-end-the-silence-in-the-wake-of-metoo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In California, Trying to End the Silence in the Wake of #MeToo\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>West filed a police report in March 2018; the San Diego Police Department said it determined the incident to be a misdemeanor. The case was not forwarded to the city attorney for prosecution because it fell outside the statute of limitations, police said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West also filed a complaint against Manos with IYNAUS, in which she included corroborating statements from four people who she’d told over the years about the alleged incident. When KQED asked Manos for comment about West’s allegations, his representative shared his May 15 statement to IYNAUS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have devoted 42 years of my life to teaching and educating tens of thousands of students in a professional and ethical manner,” he wrote. “I categorically deny Ms. West’s allegations, but still feel horrible that a student of mine has these feelings.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manos said West was a student over many years: “It does not make sense to me why she would continue to take my classes if she supposedly felt uncomfortable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am shocked that any adjustment I may have provided to Ms. West in a classroom filled with 50 students has been characterized by her as an ‘assault’ of a sexual nature,” he said, noting that he asks students if he can touch them before making any hands-on adjustments. “That is a very serious accusation and one I do not take lightly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'I am shocked \u003c/strong>that any adjustment I may have provided...in a classroom filled with 50 students has been characterized by her as an ‘assault’ of a sexual nature.'\u003ccite> Manouso Manos, yoga teacher accused of assault\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Bell, 63, a yoga teacher and writer/editor who lives in Salt Lake City, said she wrote about the alleged groping in \u003ca href=\"https://www.huggermugger.com/blog/2013/teacher-student-relationship-2/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2013\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://catalystmagazine.net/yoga-teacher-student-relationship/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2017\u003c/a>. But she never named Manos, thinking he’d taken responsibility and wasn’t doing it anymore, nor did she file a police report or complaint with a yoga body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn't come forward until now -- until I found out that indeed he was still doing this and the incident was strikingly similar to what happened to me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bell said another person in the yoga community connected her to West.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Damn, I wish I had come forward” sooner, she said. “When I heard her story, I felt like, wow, he's still doing this, and maybe I could have helped. So I felt bad ... that I didn’t say anything all those years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West wasn’t upset with Bell for not saying anything -- but she was upset with the national Iyengar yoga association (IYNAUS).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They knew that he'd been at this\" for decades, West said. “We weren't forewarned that essentially this predator was in our midst and we weren't able to make an informed decision as to whether or not we were even going to walk into his class. ... Why didn't we all know about this?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A third woman told KQED Manos slipped his hands inside her bra and massaged her breasts while she was in a resting pose during a 1986 class in New York – an account shared in the Frost article. She wrote California Iyengar yoga leaders in 1990 after she learned Manos would attend an upcoming convention in San Diego despite the sexual misconduct allegations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonnie Anthony, chair of the convention’s coordinating committee, replied in a \u003ca href=\"https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/263a106c-e0f6-404d-8e41-ba0862ec07be\">May 7, 1990, letter\u003c/a>, saying she was “willing to give him this one more chance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was our recommendation to Mr. Iyengar (and he agreed) to keep Manouso in a low profile at the Convention,” Anthony wrote. “Manouso has a problem, much like alcoholism. He has openly admitted it to Mr. Iyengar and to others and is in therapy, along with his wife, Rita.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED contacted Anthony, sharing with her the May 7 letter plus one the woman sent in response dated May 27 and an earlier one to Lasater from April 18, 1990. Anthony replied: \"The matter re: Manouso was settled many years ago and I have nothing additional to add to the record.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manos' spokesman denied the 1986 allegation and said he doesn't have anything to say about the letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>IYNAUS declined to answer KQED’s questions about its current Manos investigation or past allegations involving him, citing confidentiality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the San Francisco Iyengar institute’s handling of the previous allegations against Manos, Brian Hogencamp, president of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Northern California, said he did not know or have additional information to make a comment. Manos is not a teacher at the S.F. institute; he plays an unpaid, external, advisory role to the teachers of one program, Hogencamp said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Donna Farhi, a yoga instructor since 1982 who was on the board of Yoga Journal in the late 1980s, said by email that the publication got letters around that time from several women, unknown to each other and from different states, alleging Manos had “sexually molested” them in class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We made the decision not to feature him in the magazine, or to allow his name to appear in any advertising that might be purchased by someone hosting him,” said Farhi, who is helping Yoga Alliance draft a code of conduct for teachers and is an author of five books, including one on ethics for yoga teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farhi said she knew of West’s and Bell’s allegations, and they showed how students could be abused in class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When students are in positions where they can’t even see each other, it’s almost impossible for these women to get substantive evidence from others that these incidents did indeed happen,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>'We’re Not the Yoga Police'\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hen sexual misconduct or abuse does happen in yoga, people don’t have many ways to report it -- except for going to the police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kinoyoga.com/metoo/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In a December 2017 post\u003c/a> sharing her #MeToo experience of being sexually assaulted by a teacher, international yoga instructor Kino MacGregor said she reported the attack to Yoga Alliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They replied with a standardized email saying that they could take no action. It made me so mad because it felt like there was no accountability in the yoga world,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'We’re not\u003c/strong> becoming the yoga police.'\u003ccite> Shannon Roche, chief operating officer of Yoga Alliance\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Roche said it was awful to see Yoga Alliance being called out in that story, but added, “I'm glad she did.” The group separated policies for handling sexual misconduct from other grievances; Roche said they needed to be treated with more sensitivity and care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not law enforcement, unfortunately,” she added, echoing a line in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Yoga/Article_Archive/Shannon_Roche_Addresses_Sexual_Misconduct\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video\u003c/a> to the membership in which she said, “We’re not becoming the yoga police.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don't have the same resources that they do, and so we won't be able to take the same kind of action that law enforcement would,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The national Iyengar yoga association, which formed in 1991, investigates complaints of ethical violations, including sexual misconduct, said Manju Vachher, chair of the group’s ethics committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The committee recommends sanctions to the executive council, if necessary, Vachher said. Information is shared with the parties involved and occasionally with the executive council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Your interest in exploring how the yoga community is responding to the ‘Me Too Movement’ is important,” Vachher said in an email. “I am not able to do an interview or discuss any cases due to the confidentiality issues. During and after any investigative process, we uphold strict standards of privacy for all parties ...”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vachher declined to answer questions about the number of complaints made against Manos to IYNAUS since the late 1980s allegations arose and how many teachers the group has sanctioned over sexual misconduct complaints (and what the sanctions are for such violations).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West doesn’t think the committee can be an independent arbiter of Manos, who is on the association’s senior council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They're just one arm of an organization -- the same organization giving him these accolades and awards,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>'He Felt That I Needed to Feel More Into My Body’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>fter moving to Oakland from L.A. in 2016, Deisha Smith had left some business problems behind and was looking to make friends in her new home. She thought yoga teacher training would be one way to do that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, Smith said things felt great: Her mentor at \u003ca href=\"http://www.piedmontyoga.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Piedmont Yoga\u003c/a> in Berkeley and Oakland, Zubin Shroff, dubbed her the “minister of joy” for sharing uplifting news items. After her one-on-one sessions began with Shroff in fall 2016, however, things took a turn: She said he had her meet him at his West Berkeley condo, where they discussed personal things about her life -- rarely yoga. Finding the experience odd, she eventually stopped going.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/futureofyou/438664/what-happens-when-metoo-stories-reignite-old-trauma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What Happens When #MeToo Stories Reignite Old Trauma\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>After a short break, Smith said, Shroff reached out, saying they should restart the sessions. And, she should let him give her a massage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He felt that I needed to feel more into my body and that would involve him doing massage. Shiatsu massage. I've never had shiatsu massage,” said Smith, 40, who works in financing and funding for small businesses. “I didn't even look it up -- but that's how trusting I was of the situation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith said the sessions in February and March 2017 were “all massage that got increasingly uncomfortable,” on a futon mattress. Unlike before, there was no conversation. They were both clothed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"In the fifth (final) session, he spent the majority of the time massaging my butt and groin,” she said in a June 2017 statement to the Berkeley Police Department. “He literally massaged my butt and innermost part of my groin, as close as he could possibly be without physically touching my actual vagina.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She thought the shiatsu was “extremely weird and uncomfortable, but just part of the procedure,” she said in her police statement. “He was my instructor so the last thing I expected was for him to do anything inappropriate.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about Smith’s allegation, Shroff said in an email that he did not touch anyone inappropriately. In that same correspondence dated March 1, Shroff said he was no longer the studio’s director and noted it was “the end of a prolonged transition phase” where he had “been stepping back from directing the studio and teaching.” (Piedmont Yoga is a storied Bay Area yoga institution that has a checkered past with one of its founders, Rodney Yee, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/fashion/weddings/07Vows.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">marrying\u003c/a> a \u003ca href=\"http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/12023/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">student\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.self.com/story/yoga-sex-scandals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">having sexual relationships\u003c/a> with \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Yoga-guru-in-compromising-position-Celebrity-2836809.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">other students\u003c/a>, according to various media reports.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith wasn’t the only student getting massage from Shroff: Sarah Shimazaki said she had about 10 shiatsu sessions at Shroff’s condo starting in March 2017, paying about $40 for each one. She said the shiatsu was a “positive” experience that helped her where talk therapy hadn’t, and Shroff never touched her inappropriately.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11642818/sexual-abuse-in-the-yoga-community-share-your-story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sexual Abuse in the Yoga Community: Share Your Story\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Another student, who didn’t want to be identified, said Shroff told her during a one-on-one session at his condo in December 2016 that he offered shiatsu “at no cost” to students. She declined and said she later wondered, “ ‘Why is he offering me a free massage?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought he was creeping on the people he was attracted to or the people who somehow appeared to be vulnerable,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith reported the massage to two teachers in the program and to the police. One of the teachers, Leslie Howard, told police she didn’t know Shroff was offering massage to students, nor had she heard of him providing massage sessions to any other students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she asked him about the massage, Howard said Shroff told her: “I totally get it, I won't do this anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My thought, my feeling about Zubin is his heart is in the right place,” Howard said. “He has let so many people who can't afford yoga programs do the program for little to no money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard also said that when she asked Smith if Shroff had touched her inappropriately, Smith said “no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shroff was a \u003ca href=\"http://www.ohashiatsu.org/us/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">certified ohashiatsu consultant\u003c/a> from 2011-13, according to the New York-based Ohashi International Ltd, which also said he graduated from the institute’s six-level curriculum program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Shroff didn’t have a license to perform massage in Berkeley, said Matthai Chakko, assistant to the city manager. Nor was he certified with the California Massage Therapy Council (which said such ohashiatsu credentials would not qualify someone to get certification with the organization).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California doesn’t have state licensing for massage, but the vast majority of its cities and counties have massage therapy ordinances. While certification with CAMTC is voluntary, cities are required by state law to accept it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley authorities opened a code enforcement case regarding Shroff’s lack of massage and business licenses. In late June, Shroff was sent a notice of violation, which serves as a warning to encourage compliance, Chakko said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the scheduled site inspection this week at his Berkeley condo, Mr. Shroff stated he has relinquished his part-ownership with Piedmont Yoga and no longer conducts any business within the City. Code Enforcement verified that his unit is vacant and actively listed for sale,” Chakko wrote on July 20.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The case is now closed,” Chakko said. “Should new information arise, or if we find future violations with his involvement, we will pick up where we left off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chakko said Shroff wasn’t penalized over the zoning violation, noting it was the city’s initial contact and the goal is to bring people into voluntary compliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11691888/yoga-and-metoo-i-trusted-yoga-so-i-trusted-him\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more about this investigation on The Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101867191/reports-of-sexual-misconduct-expose-lack-of-oversight-in-yoga-industry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum discusses KQED’s findings about sexual abuse in the yoga community.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Berkeley police forwarded Smith’s case with a charge of misdemeanor sexual battery to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, which declined to prosecute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard recalled Smith as a student who didn’t participate as much in the beginning of the program but got more engaged over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She did a stellar job in her student teaching class. ... I was just like, ‘Wow,’” Howard said. But when Howard went to Shroff to advocate for Smith at one point, she said he told her Smith wasn’t “participating in his class at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shimazaki said Shroff told her about the police investigation in June 2017; the next month, she said, he spoke with her and others about transferring the business to them. In early August 2018, Shimazaki said Shroff would be transferring the business to her and another student, though it wasn’t yet complete; she said he would assist as an adviser. On Friday, she said she wouldn’t be taking over. Shroff didn’t reply to an inquiry last week about who owned the business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The transfer had nothing to do with Smith’s allegation, Shroff said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith closes her police statement saying: “I do not want this to happen to anyone else. It was as though he was taking advantage of his role as the instructor to engage in the inappropriate massage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘We Cannot Rely on Karma Alone’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">S\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>ome people become dedicated to yoga “at a time of a lot of disruption in their life,” making it imperative that studios offer a safe space for students to practice, said Sarah Herrington, program administrator for \u003ca href=\"https://bellarmine.lmu.edu/yoga/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the yoga studies program\u003c/a> at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To help do that, Roche said Yoga Alliance was recommending studios \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/timesup-metoo-ending-sexual-abuse-in-the-yoga-community\">set up reporting processes\u003c/a>. That’s what Kissiah, the lawyer and yoga philosophy teacher, thinks will make an impact -- but right now is “absolutely lacking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studios should have a code of conduct and a hotline or an email address where students can contact an independent ethics committee, he said. “That recommendation is really nothing other than applying what's very common in corporate America to the world of yoga studios.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What most studios have done is either nothing or they have referred to the ethical code in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/5-reasons-know-patanjalis-yoga-sutra\">Yoga Sutras\u003c/a>,” which is general and doesn't provide “guidance in the modern context,” he said. “Often what happens is one of these situations arises and there's this huge panic because they simply don't have the structure or the means to deal with it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrington urged studios to post a code of ethics and have a place to report abuse. “We cannot rely on karma alone,” she \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/opinion/yoga-code-of-ethics-bikram-choudhury.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote in a 2017 New York Times op-ed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690335\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690335\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/deisha-qut-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deisha Smith alleges her yoga mentor groped her during a teacher training program in the East Bay. \u003ccite>(Samantha Shanahan/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Smith, such a reporting process didn’t exist -- and it’s part of the reason she wanted to share her story: to push for this kind of change. Her alleged assailant also was the head of the studio, complicating her reporting of his behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shroff said mediation was offered and he would have attended; Smith said she was initially interested but changed her mind due to her experience in college after she was raped. She said she didn't get anything from mediation then and questioned if the teachers would take on the person paying them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>West had the same concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt if I went against Manos I would be going against a big organization ... against the Iyengar family themselves” because of his close ties to B.K.S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar, West said. “There will be a sense of betrayal. ... that I'm betraying Iyengar yoga and I'm betraying the Iyengar family.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘It Was a Bloodbath’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">S\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>ome people in the yoga community have taken a hard stand on dealing with sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Camp, owner of Flying Studios in Oakland, has twice fired teachers over sexual harassment allegations, which almost put her out of business -- both times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a huge backlash and a huge loss of income and a huge loss of community,” she said after the first dismissal. “Open letter on my Facebook about how I needed to hire this person back or these students would never come back. It was a bloodbath. And then it happened again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lisa Maria, a yoga instructor in the Bay Area who has written about sexual misconduct in the community, said studios have removed teachers from the schedule following complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In my experience, this seems to be getting better,” Maria said. “People are much more willing to talk about it now, and I think people are seeing responses from studios about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SoulPlay Festivals, which organizes events around yoga, dance, personal growth and more, stresses \u003ca href=\"http://soulplay.co/festival/safety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">safety, touch and consent\u003c/a> at its gatherings: Presenters offer frequent reminders about it, the group has an online form to report misconduct, and staff are on site to handle allegations, said Romi Elan, founder and CEO of SoulPlay Festivals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's that feeling of safety ... is what allows people to open up, open themselves up to having a very profound and deep experience,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690329\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690329 size-complete_open_graph\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-480x1200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-480x1200.jpg 480w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-160x400.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-800x2000.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-1020x2550.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-1180x2950.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-960x2400.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-240x600.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-375x938.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut-520x1300.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SoulPlay-Infographic_1-14-18-qut.jpg 1250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SoulPlay, which organizes events around yoga, dance, personal growth and more, stresses safety and consent at its gatherings. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of SoulPlay)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other studios and groups haven’t adopted such strategies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sometimes studio owners won't do anything about teachers accused of sexual misconduct because they’re a popular instructor, said Lasater. Or if they do fire them, “then the teacher just goes down the road and teaches somewhere else,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yoga teachers can reinvent themselves over and over and over again because of the ability to move from place to place,” Lisa Maria said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some students have left their studio -- or even given up the practice of yoga -- after misconduct or abuse. The latter was the case for some of the women who responded to KQED’s callout for #MeToo stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrington said she stopped attending classes taught by her favorite teacher after he began sending her sexually explicit messages on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Often what happens is that the student disappears and goes to another community. You lose your community. Because if somebody is running the show, and they're doing the misuse of power, where are you going to go?” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only thing that can stop a teacher who is sexually abusing students is if the studio owner takes action or if the victim goes the legal route, said Lasater. “They (the victim) have to be the one that shoulders all the burden,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yet there’s not much that law enforcement can do: Most sex assault cases don’t make it into the criminal courts, said Kristen Houser, a spokeswoman at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The challenge for prosecutors in pursuing these cases can be convincing jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred, especially when there aren’t other witnesses -- if it happened one on one, which could trigger a “he said/she said” scenario, said Mary Ashley, an assistant district attorney in San Bernardino County whose work has included sexual battery cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” she said. Even if “a jury says, ‘Well, I kind of believe her but I don't totally disbelieve him,’ the law at least criminally will say you have to give favor to the defendant.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘This Happened to Me, and I’m a Teacher’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">L\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>eaving yoga has been a heartbreaking consideration for Eka Ekong, a yoga teacher in Marin County, over the last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It began, she said, with an unwelcome remark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ekong, 42, of San Rafael, was taking a class in November 2017 at the studio where she worked. She’d just taken her sweatshirt off when the teacher, Allan Nett looked at her, she recalled, and said: “This is what I get to look at the whole time.” (Nett denied saying that, noting he said, “Now I can see you” -- meaning it would help him give her correct adjustments. He said he had no intention of objectifying her body or being sexual.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The comment unnerved Ekong, she said, but she continued with the practice -- though later, she said, he adjusted her legs while she was in the lunge pose of Warrior 2.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He came behind me and put his hands on my legs close to my genitals and he abruptly pulled my legs apart,” she said. “I came out of the pose. I tried to kind of neutralize or equalize because I could feel something was off.” (Nett said given his stature -- 5-foot-3, 120 pounds -- and that at the time he was awaiting an open heart operation, he didn’t have the strength, energy or size to “abruptly” pull her legs apart.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something was off: According to medical records, Ekong's doctor found she’d sustained a leg/groin injury, suffering bruising and soft tissue injuries. A week after the alleged assault, her doctor wrote, she had “significant swelling and several very tender areas where the instructor’s hands were placed as well as the surrounding tissues.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nett, 72, said he asks permission from students before he touches them, and Ekong said she had given him the OK earlier in the class to make adjustments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I put one hand just above the knee on the inner thigh and the other hand above the knee on the outer thigh ... to demonstrate and have the student feel the rotation that the pose requires to bring the hips into alignment,” he said. “So I've got hands above her knee -- one hand on the inside, one hand on the outside -- and I've got a good grip there and I'm starting to roll that thigh backwards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he “thought that she understood the action that I was asking for in the pose as she came up. There was not any kind of indication that she injured herself or that there was injury going on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/series/beyondmetoo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KQED's Series: Beyond #MeToo\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>As of today, Ekong said she still can’t practice yoga. She said she goes weekly to physical and trauma therapies, and sees her doctor every few weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are some days my body just hurts,” she said. “And really basic things are not so basic.” Like putting on shoes. Walking. Straightening her legs. It has also been hard to sit, including cross-legged -- one of the most common poses in yoga.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The emotional wounds run deep, too, for Ekong, who began practicing in 1999 and teaching in 2006.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every day, my close friends, students and peers, they ask me, how are you healing? I don’t know what to tell them,” she wrote to the national Iyengar yoga association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do I tell them at some moments I’m OK and then I’m in tears. How do I explain that this morning I was so angry that I wanted to scream out loud, that I wonder if I’ll ever be able to practice yoga asana again or feel safe as a student in the yoga studio? That I wonder daily if I still want to be a teacher and part of a larger systemic issue that elevates the teacher and lessens the wisdom of the student,” she continued in the letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know if it involves teaching, but yoga will always be a part of my life. But I can’t say what that looks like,” she said. “There’s some part of me that has been taken away that I’m still trying to find again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nett, an instructor of more than 25 years who hasn’t been teaching recently due to his surgery, said he was let go from the studio, which KQED isn’t naming due to Ekong’s concern that it’s her place of employment. The studio said it could not comment on specific employee matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All I can say is, 'Gee whiz, I'm sorry that you got injured in my class.’ But I think there's more to this story than anybody's ever going to know,” he said in an hour-long phone call with KQED, adding that he felt there were enough “little inconsistencies” in Ekong’s description of the injuries that “I really question the truth of it all.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As she has described it, I find it difficult to accept that she was injured. It was possibly a pre-existing weakness, combined with the strong posture of Warrior II that strained,” he said. But he also noted: “There's certainly some truth in it and I'm not saying that she was not injured.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About five years ago, Nett said one of his students complained about inappropriate touch (not of a sexual nature; she just didn’t want to be touched) to a studio owner in Oakland: “I took it to heart,” he said, and modified his behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Touch is an important part of learning, Nett said: “By moving a muscle manually the body understands it, and you don't have to think about it.\" But he has decided to stop offering adjustments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been traumatic. And I'm sure it's traumatic for her,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immediately after the incident, Ekong withdrew from her friends and yoga community. She said she felt like she was wearing a scarlet letter “A,” was somehow to blame for what happened, and that her studio was no longer her home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe src=\"https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fekaette.ekong.5%2Fposts%2F10155956900267272&width=500\" width=\"600\" height=\"290\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allow=\"encrypted-media\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, she knew she had to speak out. She contacted the studio, Central Marin police and the national Iyengar yoga association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s important that you know this is happening, because if this happened to me and I’m a teacher, imagine what’s really happening and people aren’t saying anything,” she recalled telling the studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and Nett said IYNAUS is reviewing her complaint (the group declined to comment about the case, citing confidentiality).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Central Marin police said in an email that there was no mention of sexual assault when Ekong’s report was made, and since it “was not criminal in nature,” it did not meet the criteria for referral to the DA. The matter, police said, was left to the studio to handle; Ekong said she intends to file a supplemental report to police.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘Most Victims Don’t Report’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">H\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>oward, one of the teachers in the Piedmont Yoga training program, wanted to know why Deisha Smith hadn’t told her about the alleged inappropriate touch by director Zubin Shroff when she reported the massage and when Howard said she had specifically asked about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was completely uncomfortable and I was still dealing with the fact that he did not vaginally insert me. He 'just touched me,'” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A number of the women who contacted KQED with their stories didn’t report right away to law enforcement or others what happened -- or only partially reported it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such behavior isn’t unusual: When sexual misconduct is reported, partial or delayed reporting -- or inconsistencies in such reports -- are “the norm and it should be expected,” said Houser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Through our eyes, that bolsters the validity of complaints,” she added. Few people make prompt complaints, include all of the details, and consistently tell it the same way. “That's not how traumatic events are processed and stored in our bodies and in our brains.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men in the U.S. reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime, only one in 10 women -- and one in 20 men -- filed an official complaint or report to an authority figure, including a police report, according to a January 2018 \u003ca href=\"http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018-National-Study-on-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stop Street Harassment online survey\u003c/a> of 2,000 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most victims don't report, or hold off doing so, for a variety of reasons. But they “all fall under the large umbrella of: They don’t trust the rest of us to respond appropriately,” said Houser.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'I trusted yoga so I trusted him.\u003c/strong> I shouldn't have made that connection.'\u003ccite> a teenager, who says her yoga teacher had sex with her\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Those reasons, she said, include fear of being disbelieved, blamed or having their privacy violated through gossip. Some people fear repercussions in their home life or their social circles, which often include the assailant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People often keep it to themselves, not to mention it's a very confusing thing when somebody that you know and trust violates that trust,” Houser said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked what was holding people back from reporting abuse in yoga, Brathen said: “I think the biggest piece is fear of being alienated from this community that means so much to us.” That community built through yoga, she said, is “sacred” and such an “important part of the practice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘I Trusted Yoga So I Trusted Him’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">“A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>re you 18 years old? Holy shit.” That was the first message a Bay Area teenager said that her yoga teacher sent to her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was then 17, in the summer before her first year in college; he was twice her age. She said she had a crush on him and thought he liked her, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next few months, she said her teacher groomed her to have sex with him: In a number of text messages, he said he had something to tell her, but to do that, they had to meet in person and in private. (The teenager, who didn’t want to be identified out of concerns for her privacy and safety, shared the Facebook and text messages with KQED).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690342\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 424px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11690342\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"424\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut.jpg 424w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut-160x105.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut-240x157.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_Bother_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.15.15-PM-qut-375x246.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 424px) 100vw, 424px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He wanted to meet me alone so he could explain why everything had to be so secretive and he would always say it will all make sense once we get to chat in person,” she said. “I am a kid but I'm not dumb. And I knew the obvious reasons, which were that you don't want people to think that you fuck your students and I'm really young.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of his text messages read: “I know I sound like some kind of criminal or something but it would be great if we could hang out in a place that is not so public.” Another one read: “Any place that is low key so we aren’t seen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 601px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11690343\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"601\" height=\"498\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut.jpg 601w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut-160x133.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut-240x199.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut-375x311.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_secretbar_Screen-Shot-2018-08-22-at-5.10.44-PM-qut-520x431.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Early on, she expressed reservations about connecting outside the classroom. She’d blossomed in yoga: It helped ease her anxiety and made her feel safe, capable and independent. “I was convinced that I wanted to be a yoga teacher. It was my whole thing,” she said. “I considered it a big defining part of who I was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he assured her, in text messages, that she could keep coming to classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690355\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690355\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-800x714.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"714\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-800x714.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-160x143.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-1020x910.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-1200x1071.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-1180x1053.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-960x856.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-240x214.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-375x335.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut-520x464.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_class2__Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-4.36.55-PM-qut.jpg 1224w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Eventually, they did meet outside the studio -- a week before her 18th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690348\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690348\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-800x218.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"136\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-800x218.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-160x44.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-240x65.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-375x102.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut-520x142.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_drink_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.04.47-PM-qut.jpg 902w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690349\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690349\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-800x232.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"145\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-800x232.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-160x46.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-240x70.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-375x109.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut-520x151.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_pajamaparty_Screen-Shot-2018-08-26-at-5.05.50-PM-qut.jpg 904w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said he invited her to a bar in a quiet Bay Area community, where he bought her several drinks (she had a fake ID), and then he took her to a hotel, where they smoked hashish. She recalled being “very intoxicated and a little woozy” before they had sex.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a nearly two-hour interview with KQED, the teacher said he didn’t have sex with her and that he left her with two of his friends in the hotel room whom he declined to identify; the police report said it was clear from the text messages that the pair did have a sexual relationship, “however brief,” and no mention was made of his friends. The teen said he didn’t have friends with him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690356\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690356\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"331\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut.jpg 605w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut-240x159.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut-375x249.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_police_Screen-Shot-2018-08-30-at-2.08.17-PM-qut-520x345.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The teacher also said the teenager told him she was 18; she said her birthday -- including year -- was listed on Facebook, and though she at one point told him in a SMS that she was 18, she said she thought he knew her real age and they were both “going to pretend” she was 18. The police also noted that she had not told him her real age but said she was 18.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690364\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690364\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"273\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut.jpg 617w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut-160x87.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut-240x131.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut-375x205.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/SMS_18_Screen-Shot-2018-09-04-at-12.23.59-PM-qut-520x284.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Text messages that a Bay Area teen says were exchanged between her and her yoga teacher. Her comments are in green; his in gray. \u003ccite>(KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After their encounter, she said he left the hotel a short time later but it took months for her to realize what had happened: “I was basically sexually abused and manipulated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt dumb for thinking that because he was my yoga teacher and because he was so much older than me -- because he was my spiritual counselor in some ways -- that he wouldn't take advantage of me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I trusted yoga so I trusted him,” she said. “I shouldn't have made that connection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she came back home from college to the Bay Area, she planned to tell her mom -- only to find out she had gone through her phone and seen the messages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The teen’s mom said she called some studios where he taught to report the teacher; he said one let him go and he assumed it was because of the mother’s calls. Another studio owner said they let him go because of the allegations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The teacher said it had been “one really long hard struggle” after the teen -- who he called “just a fuckin’ girl” -- went to the police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll just say that her mom tried really hard to make my life extremely hard and she succeeded,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of sleep over this and been hurt ... I’ve had to ask some people for support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch3>Have a tip or information to share? You can contact reporter Miranda Leitsinger on the encrypted communications app Signal (650-888-2765) or by email: mleitsinger@kqed.org\u003c/h3>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The teenager decided to come forward with her story after learning that a second student, Leah Tumerman, 36, had accused the teacher of threatening earlier this year that he and his partner should “Bill Cosby her.” Tumerman told police she understood this to mean “he would drug and rape me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tumerman, a longtime student of the teacher, said she became scared of him and his change in personality. The pair had gotten into a conversation about food over text message, and the discussion somehow took a turn, she said. The teacher denied making the comment but said they did argue about food. Tumerman, an artist from Richmond, filed a police report for documentation purposes only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The teen’s case was forwarded to the DA’s office, which declined to prosecute.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘You Have to Face the Shame of Your Complicity’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp> number of women have come forward in recent months to share their accounts of alleged abuse by their yoga teachers -- triggering a growing conversation in the community about sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, Yoga Alliance issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Yoga/Article_Archive/Yoga_Alliance_Statement_on_Sexual_Misconduct_in_Our_Community\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a statement\u003c/a> on sexual misconduct in the yoga community. In January, it released Roche’s video and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/Sexual_Misconduct_Resources/Unity_in_Yoga_with_RAINN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">podcast\u003c/a> on the topic, and weeks later published \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Us/Policies/Sexual_Misconduct_Disciplinary_Procedure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sexual misconduct disciplinary procedures\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Us/Policies/Policy_Prohibiting_Sexual_Misconduct\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">policy\u003c/a> on its website. In early September, the group said it could “confirm that we have suspended and revoked credentials under our new policy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In this #MeToo moment, we too must act,” Roche, of Yoga Alliance, said in the video. “There’s a deeply troubling pattern of misconduct within our community, a pattern that touches almost every tradition in modern yoga. To definitively turn the page on that history, we must openly acknowledge the issue of sexual misconduct in yoga.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remski, the yoga teacher and culture critic, said Roche’s message to the yoga community heralded a “sea change moment.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"instagramLink","attributes":{"named":{"instagramId":"BmCL66zlrlz"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>“It puts the entire culture on notice that this is a thing. It's not dirty laundry anymore. It's totally out in the open,” he said. “With one sentence, she implicated the entire culture as having enabled this and that's what hasn't been done yet. ... Nobody has looked at it as a systemic problem -- because when you look at it as a systemic problem, you have to face the shame of your complicity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lasater said she was very supportive of Yoga Alliance’s efforts but felt the community still has a long way to go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If teachers don't have true consequences, what is going to cause them to change their behavior?” she said. “Nothing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brathen, or Yoga Girl, said she was “torn” over Yoga Alliance’s initial solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am still very unclear as to what action will be taken at the end of the day,” she said. “If the worst thing that can happen to you as a perpetrator is that your name gets taken off the website, I don't think that that's going to do a whole lot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In early August, Brathen published her second series of #MeToo stories. She wrote how tough it was to expel the alleged sexual harassers and abusers from the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A Stone, a Token: The New Conversation on Touch Consent\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690330\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/Tokens_yoga-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Touch consent tokens at Yoga Tree near Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Miranda Leitsinger/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">L\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>asater and other yoga leaders said they felt students -- particularly women -- were going to be a part of the solution. One sign already? The “touch consent” cards, chips and tokens popping up in studios across the country. Years ago, the first version of those were painted stones, paper clips, even a leaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students would place such an object on top or below their mat to signal if a teacher could touch them, said Remski.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690326\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-11690326\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut-520x693.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/BB-qut.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yoga teacher Bayley Blackney leads a workshop on touch in Capitola on March 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Miranda Leitsinger/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The yoga room has been a space of implied consent. And that is no longer the case. The politics, the techniques, the methods of consent are now fully part of yoga discourse,” Remski said. “It undoes something profound in the last 100 years of yoga pedagogy, which is the notion that the teachers should decide what the student needs or what they should do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The growing use of the tokens has broader implications, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\u003ca href=\"https://video.kqed.org/show/metoo-now-what/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#MeToo, Now What?\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“The #MeToo movement also signifies a solidification of the change in leadership in modern yoga from men to women because those tokens ... are the latest generation of what women started using about 10 or 12 years ago in small studios,” he said. “It's a grass-roots idea that has worked its way up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teachers now typically ask students at the beginning of class to let them know if they want adjustments or not, and some instructors are holding workshops on touch and consent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayley Blackney hosted such a gathering at a studio in Capitola in late March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Touch is something that I’m so passionate about. It’s love language and I am very, very passionate about creating a safe touch,” she said. “Now is the time to really offer this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘I Lost a Large Chunk of My Life’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>nger. Anxiety. Depression. Discomfort. Distrust. Empowerment. Exhaustion. Fear. Guilt. Frustration. Insomnia. Isolation. Self-doubt. Tears. Triggering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The women that KQED interviewed experienced all of this and more as they grappled with what they said their teachers did to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes I'm really angry because I feel like I lost a large chunk of my life living in a cloud that I didn't realize I was in until I got out of it,” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has experienced panic attacks, anxiety and days where she couldn’t get out of bed. Thirty-one percent of women and 20 percent of men felt anxiety or depression after experiencing sexual harassment and assault, according to Stop Street Harassment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith still doesn’t have her teacher certificate, although Shroff said in a July 17 email that she’d met the requirements. Smith said she has an outstanding payment that she can’t bring herself to pay because she'd regret \"paying to be abused.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the teen, she said it’s been a hard reckoning for her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was fresh out of high school and I slept with someone literally twice my age -- like halfway between me and my parents,” she said. “It took my innocence away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tumerman, who alleged the same teacher involved in the teen’s case had threatened to “Bill Cosby” her, hasn’t returned to yoga. Her last time was in his class, after the threat.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">\u003cstrong>'Yoga isn't a safe space\u003c/strong> for me anymore. And it used to be ... What had been my life is now no longer my life.'\u003ccite> Ann West\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“I was still processing the change, my new understanding of my teacher,” she said in explaining why she attended the class. “I practiced with my eyes closed the entire time. ... I couldn't look at him. The sound of his voice was making me shake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I did my practice and I rolled up my mat and left the room. And I haven't seen him since,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ekong said: “My life is forever changed.” She has decided to leave the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not home. I can’t heal here,” she said. \"I don't want to worry about running into him or students asking when are you going to come back to teach.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for West, she said she has removed herself to the “outskirts” of the Iyengar yoga community and attends classes only with the one teacher she can trust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yoga isn't a safe space for me anymore. And it used to be,” she said. “I would take workshops and go to conventions and travel to India. And none of that is happening anymore. I have no interest in it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What had been my life is now no longer my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Edited by David Weir and Patricia Yollin\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11690316/metoo-unmasks-the-open-secret-of-sexual-abuse-in-yoga","authors":["11310"],"programs":["news_72"],"categories":["news_457","news_6188","news_8"],"tags":["news_24284","news_19542","news_24067","news_21804","news_2700","news_20618","news_17041","news_21362"],"featImg":"news_11690331","label":"news_72","isLoading":false,"hasAllInfo":true}},"programsReducer":{"possible":{"id":"possible","title":"Possible","info":"Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.","airtime":"SUN 2pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.possible.fm/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Possible"},"link":"/radio/program/possible","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"}},"1a":{"id":"1a","title":"1A","info":"1A is home to the national conversation. 1A brings on great guests and frames the best debate in ways that make you think, share and engage.","airtime":"MON-THU 11pm-12am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/1a.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://the1a.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/1a","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=1188724250&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/1A-p947376/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510316/podcast.xml"}},"all-things-considered":{"id":"all-things-considered","title":"All Things Considered","info":"Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. 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But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/news/series/american-suburb-podcast","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"13"},"link":"/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"}},"baycurious":{"id":"baycurious","title":"Bay Curious","tagline":"Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time","info":"KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"\"KQED Bay Curious","officialWebsiteLink":"/news/series/baycurious","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"4"},"link":"/podcasts/baycurious","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9jYXRlZ29yeS9iYXktY3VyaW91cy1wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdA","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"}},"bbc-world-service":{"id":"bbc-world-service","title":"BBC World Service","info":"The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.","airtime":"MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service","meta":{"site":"news","source":"BBC World Service"},"link":"/radio/program/bbc-world-service","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/","rss":"https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"}},"code-switch-life-kit":{"id":"code-switch-life-kit","title":"Code Switch / Life Kit","info":"\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />","airtime":"SUN 9pm-10pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"}},"commonwealth-club":{"id":"commonwealth-club","title":"Commonwealth Club of California Podcast","info":"The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. 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