Bikram - Jaffa-Bodden - Judgment

7/25/2019 Bikram - Jaffa-Bodden - Judgment

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SUPERIORCOURTOFTHE

STATEOF

CALIFORNIA

FOR THECOUNTY

OF LOS ANGELES

INAKSHI

JAFA-BODDEN,

v

s .

P l a i n t i f f ,

B

IKRAM

CHOUDHURY,

n d i v i d u a l l y

and

a s

Pr e s i d e n t of

Bikram Choudhury

Yoga

n c . ,

Chairman and

CEO

f

Bikram's Yoga C o l l e g e

of

n d i a , LP nd

a s P r e s i d e n t

of Bikram,

n c . ;

R

AJASHREE

CHOUDHURY,


and

a

s

P r e s i d e n t of

USA YOGA FEDERATION,

Vi c e P r e s i d e n t of

BIKRAM S

YOGA

COLLEGE OF NDIA,

. P .

and

a s Vice

P

r e s i d e n t

of i l c r a m , I n c . ; BIKRAM S

YOGA

C

OLLEGE

OF NDIA L . P . ; BIKRAM,

NC.;

U

SA

YOGA

FEDERATION;

IKRAM

C

HOUDHURY YOGA,

NC.;

PETRA

STARKE,


and a s

P r e s i d e n t

of

B

i k r a m s

Yoga

C o l l e g e

of n d i a ,

and DOES

t

hrough

25, n c l u s i v e ,

2

1

D e f e n d a n t s .

CASENO.

C512041

[

s s i g n e d t o t h e

Hon.

Mark

Mooney,

De p t . 68]

[

PROPOSED]

J

UDGMENT

ON

JURY

VERDICT

T

h i s

a c t i o n

c a m e on

e g u l a r l y

f o r

t r i a l

on J a n u a r y

4, 2016

n

Department 68

of

h e

S

u p e r i o r

C o u r t ,

County

of Los

A n g e l e s ,

t h e

Honorable

Mar k

Mooney,

Judge

p r e s i d i n g .

P l a i n t i f f

n a k s h i J a f a - B o d d e n ,

was

r e p r e s e n t e d

b y

Mar k T.

Q u i g l e y

and

Aaron

L.

Osten

of

Greene

B

r o i l l e t

W h e e l e r , LLP

and C a r l a V .

Minnard

of

h e Minnard Law

Firm.

Defendant

Bikram

C

houdhury was e p r e s e n t e d b y Robert N. a f o y a , Esq.

of

Tafoya G a r c i a ,

LLP,

nd D e f e n d a n t s

- 1-

[PROPOSED]

UDGMENT

ON

JURY VERDICT


2/9

M

M~

N

U

o

a

m U

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'~

n

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2

4

25

26

2

7

2

8

Bikram s

Yoga College

of I n d i a

L . P . ;

Bikram, I n c . ;

and

B i k r a m Choudhury

Yoga,

I n c .

were

re p r e s e n t e d

by

Lucien

A.

Schmit

of l b r i g h t

chmit.

A

j u r y of

twelve

p e r s o n s

w a s

r e g u l a r l y impaneled

and

sworn. Witnesses

were

sworn and

t

e s t i f i e d .

A f t e r h e a r i n g t h e

e v i d e n c e

and t h e

arguments

of

o u n s e l t h e

j u r y w a s duly

i n s t r u c t e d

by

t

he C o u r t

counsel

argued

t h e

c a u s e

and t h e

j u r y r e t u r n e d i t s

v e r d i c t

on J a n u a r y 25, 2016,

a s

f

o l l o w s :

We

an swe r

t h e

q u e s t i o n s s u b m i t t e d

t o us

a s

f o l l o w s :

1. Was

icki B o dd e n

an employee

of n d / o r

a

p e r s o n

p r o v i d i n g s e r v i c e s

under

a

o n t r a c t

w

i t h :

(a) Bikram s

Yoga

C o l l e g e

of

n d i a

L . P . X Ye s

No

)

B i k r a m

Choudhury

Yoga, n c .

X Ye s

No

)

B i k r a m

I n c .

X Ye s

No

I

f

you

answered

yes

f o r any

d e f e n d a n t

i n q u e s t i o n

1 then answer q u e s t i o n

2 . I f

you

a

nswered

no

f o r

l l

d e f e n d a n t s i n q u e s t i o n 1 answer no

f u r t h e r

q u e s t i o n s ;

and have

t h e

p

r e s i d i n g

j u r o r

s i g n

and

d a t e

t h i s

form.

2

Was

Micki

B o dd e n

s u b j e c t e d t o unwanted

h a r a s s i n g

conduct because she

w a s a

wo m a n

a n d / o r

d i d she

p e r s o n a l l y w i t n e s s

h a r a s s i n g conduct h a t took p l a c e i n h e r immediate

work

e

n v i r o n m e n t .

X Yes

No

If our

answer

t o

q u e s t i o n

2 s

y e s

t h e n

an swe r

q u e s t i o n

3 .

I f

you

answered

no, h e n

s l i p

q

u e s t i o n s

3

hrough 9, and proceed

t o q u e s t i o n

1 0 .

3.

Was

h e

harassment

e v e r e o r p e r v a s i v e ?

X Yes No

If our

answer

t o

q u e s t i o n

3 i s y e s then

answer q u e s t i o n 4.

I f

you

a ~ I s w e r e d no, t h e n

s

k i p

q u e s t i o n s

4

hrough 9,

and

p r o c e e d t o

q u e s t i o n 1 0 .

-

2

PROPOSED] UDGiVIEN

~N

JUFZY

VERDICT


3/9

M

M~

NU

oQ

m U

p

Z

aw

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1

0

1

1

12

13

14

1 5

16

1

7

1

8

1

9

20

21

22

2

3

2

4

2

5

2

6

2

7

2

8

4.

Would

a

r e a s o n a b l e

woman

i n

Micki

Bodden s

circumstances

have

c o n s i d e r e d t h e

w

ork

environment o

be

h o s t i l e

o r abusive?

X Yes

No

I

f

our answer

t o

q u e s t i o n

4

s y e s

then answer

q u e s t i o n 5 .

I f you

answered

no,

then

sk i p

q u e s t i o n s

5

hrough

9, and proceed t o

q u e s t i o n 10.

5

. Did

M i c i c i Bodden

o n s i d e r t h e work

environment o be

o s t i l e or abusive?

Xes

No

If

our answer

t o q u e s t i o n

5 s

y e s

then

answer

q u e s t i o n 6. I f you

answered no,

h e n

s

k i p q u e s t i o n s

6

hrough

9, and proceed t o

q u e s t i o n

10.

6.

Did

any

defendant

f o r

whom

you answered yes

i n q u e s t i o n 1

o r

t s

s u p e r v i s o r s

o r

a

g e n t s k no w

or should have

known of h e h a r a s s i n g conduct?

Xes

No

I

f

ou

answered y e s

then

answer

q u e s t i o n

7 .

I f

you

answered no

i n q u e s t i o n 6,

s k i p

q

u e s t i o n

7,

and

proceed

t o q u e s t i o n

8 .

7.

Did

any defendant who

you

answered

yes

f o r i n

q u e s t i o n 1

o r t s

s u p e r v i s o r s

o r

a g e n t s

f

il t o t a k e

immediate

and

p p r o p r i a t e

c o r r e c t i v e

a c t i o n ?

X

Yes

No

nswer Question 8.

8. Did

Bikram

Choudhury p a r t i c i p a t e i n a s s i s t

o r

encourage

h e

h a r a s s i n g

conduct?

X

es

No

I

f ou

answered

no

t o

both q u e s t i o n

7

nd 8 , k i p q u e s t i o n 9

nd

answer

q u e s t i o n

1 0 .

I f

y

ou

answered yes t o

e i t h e r

q u e s t i o n

7

r q u e s t i o n

~ then answer

q u e s t i o n 9.

- 3

~~~~~~~~~~

J~~~~~~

o~

URY

U~R~I~~


4/9

M

N U

x

oQ

m

U

QZ

a~

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1

0

1 1

1

2

13

1

4

1

J

16

1

7

1

8

1

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20

2

1

22

2

3

24

25

2

6

2

7

2

8

9.

Was h e

h a r a s s i n g

conduct

a

u b s t a n t i a l

f a c t o r i n c a u s i n g

harm

t o

Micki B o d de n?

X

e s . No

A

nswer

q u e s t i o n

1 0 .

1 0 . Did

Micki Bo d d en r e p o r t

o r

complain

about s e x u a l

d i s c r i m i n a t i o n

a n d / o r s e x u a l

h

a r a s s m e n t i n

t h e

workplace?

X

Yes

No

I

f

our

answer

t o q u e s t i o n

10 i s

y e s , .

t h e n

answer

q u e s t i o n

1 1 .

I f

y o u

answered

n o

t o

q

u e s t i o n

10, hen

s k i p

q u e s t i o n s 11,

12

and 13,and

p r o c e e d

t o

q u e s t i o n

1 4 .

1

1 .

Did

any

defendant

o r whom o u

answered

y e s

i n q u e s t i o n 1 d i s c h a r g e

Micki B o d de n

o

r engage i n

c o n d u c t

taken

a s

a

whole,

a t e r i a l l y

and

a d v e r s e l y

a f f e c t t h e terms and

c o n d i t i o n s

o f

p

l a i n t i f f s

employment?

X

Yes

No

I

f

our

answer

t o

q u e s t i o n

11 i s

y e s

then

a n s w e r _

q u e s t i o n

1 2 .

I f y o u

answered

n o

t o

q

u e s t i o n 11,

hen

s k i p q u e s t i o n s 12

and 1 3

and

proceed

t o q u e s t i o n

1 4 .

1

2 .

Was

icki Bodden s r e p o r t

o r

complaint about

s e x u a l


a n d / o r

s e x u a l

h

arassment

i n

t h e

workplace a s u b s t a n t i a l

m o t i v a t i n g

r e a s o n f o r

t h e

d e c i s i o n

t o

d i s c h a r g e Micki

Bodden?

X

Yes

No

I

f

our

answer

t o

q u e s t i o n

12

i s

y e s

t h e n

answer q u e s t i o n 1 3 .

I f

y o u

answered

n o

t o

q

u e s t i o n

12, hen

s k i p

q u e s t i o n 13,

and

proceed

t o

q u e s t i o n 1 4 .

1

3 . Was

h e

conduct o f any

d e f e n d a n t

f o r whom y o u

checked y e s

t o

i n q u e s t i o n 1

a

s

u b s t a n t i a l f a c t o r i n c a u s i n g harm

t o

Micki B o d de n?

X

Yes

No

A

nswer q u e s t i o n 1 4 .

4

[~~~{~~5~~

J~~~~~N~

~~~U~Y

~~R~~~~


5/9

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1

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5

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7

8

9

1

0

1 1

12

1

3

1

4

1

5

16

1

~

1

8

1

9

20

2

1

22

2

3

24

2

5

2

6

2

7

2

8

1 4 .

Did

any

defendant

f o r whom

you

answered

y e s

t o i n q u e st i o n 1 , f a i l t o t a k e

a l l

r

e a s o n a b l e s t e p s t o

p r e v e n t

t h e harassment

n d / o r


a n d / o r

r e t a l i a t i o n ?

Xe s No

I

f our answer

t o

q u e s t i o n

14 s

y e s ,

then answer

q u e s t i o n

1 5 .

I f

you answered

no,

k i p

q

u e s t i o n

15, and proceed o

q u e s t i o n

1 6 .

1

5 . For any

defendant you answered yes t o

i n q u e s t i o n 1 ,

w a s t h a t

d e f e n d a n t s

f a i l u r e

t o

pr e v e n t

t h e

harassment

n d / o r


a n d / o r

r e t a l i a t i o n a

u b s t a n t i a l

f a c t o r

i n

c a u s i n g harm

to Micki

Bodden?

X Yes

No

Answer

q u e s t i o n

1 6 .

1

6.

Was

icki

Bodden

d i s c h a r g e d ?

X

Yes No

If

our

answer

t o q u e s t i o n

16 i s

y e s , then

answer

q u e s t i o n

1 7 .

I f you

answered

no,

k i p

qu e s t i o n s

17, 18 and

19,

and proceed

t o

q u e s t i o n

20.

1

7 . Was

Micki

Bodden s

r e p o r t i n g

a n d / o r

complaining

about

h e r

r e a s o n a b l y

b a s e d

su s p i c i o n of

e x u a l

harassment a n d / o r

s e x u a l


b y

Bikram Choudhury,

a

s u b s t a n t i a l

mo t i v a t i n g

r e a s o n

f o r

h e r

d i s c h a r g e ?

X

Yes

No

If our

answer

o

q u e s t i o n 17

s

y e s , then

answer

q u e s t i o n 1 8 . I f

you answered no,

k i p

q

u e s t i o n

18, and

proceed

t o

q u e s t i o n 1 9 .

1

8 . Did

h e

d i s c h a r g e

cause

Micki

Bodden harm ?

X

Ye s No

- 5

[PROPOSED] UDGfvIEfVT

ON

JURY

VERDICT


6/9

M~

U

o

~

pZ

aw

1

Z

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1

1

1

2

13

1

4

1

5

1

6

1

7

1

8

1

9

2

0

2

1

2

2

2

3

24

2

5

26

2

7

2

8

1 9 .

I f

you

answered y e s t o

q u e s t i o n

9, r 1 3 , o r 1 5 , o r 18 t h e n answer t h e

q u e s t i o n

below

th i s p a r a g r a p h .

I f

you

d i d

not answer y e s t o q u e s t i o n 9 ,

r

1 3 ,

o r 1 5 , o r

1 8 , t h e n

s t o p h e r e ,

answer

n

o u r t h e r

q u e s t i o n s , and

have

h e

p r e s i d i n g

j u r o r

s i g n

and d a t e

t h i s

form.

Wh a t a r e

Micki Bodden s

damages?

) P a s t Lost

a r n i n g s 37 054

)

F u t u r e

Lost a r n i n g s 87,500

) P a s t noneconomic o s s , i n c l u d i n g

mental

s u f f e r i n g

and e m o t i o n a l d i s t r e s s

50,000

)

F u t u r e noneconomic o s s ,

i n c l u d i n g

mental s u f f e r i n g and

e m o t i o n a l

d i s t r e s s

450,000

TOTAL

24,554

A

nswer

q u e s t i o n

2 0 .

20 .

Has Micki

B o d d e n

p r o v e d ,

by

c l e a r

and

c o n v i n c i n g

e v i d e n c e ,

t h a n

an

o f f i c e r ,

d i r e c t o r ,

or

managing

a g e n t of

any

of

h e d e f e n d a n t s

t h a t you checked

y e s

t o

i n

q u e s t i o n 1 ,

engaged

i n

m a l i c e , o p p r e s s i o n , o r f r a u d ,

beyond

t h e

w r o n g f u l

t e r m i n a t i o n

i t s e l f

o r

t h a t

such conduct

w as

r

a t i f i e d

by

an

o f f i c e r ,

d i r e c t o r ,

o r

managing

a g e n t

of

one

of

h e d e f e n d a n t s

you checked y e s t o i n

qu e s t i o n 1?

X

Yes No

On

J a n u a r y

26,

2016

h e

j u r y

d e l i b e r a t e d on h e

i s s u e

of

u n i t i v e

damages

and

r e t u r n e d

the o l l o w i n g v e r d i c t :

SPECIAL

VERDICT

PUNITIVE

DAMAGES

W

e

h e

j u r y , n

t h e above

i t l e d

c a s e ,

answer

h e

u e s t i o n

s u b m i t t e d t o us a s f o l l o w s :

W

h a t

amount

of

u n i t i v e

damages do

you

award a g a i n s t D e f e n d a n t s ?

T

OTAL

iJNITIVE

DAMAGES:

, 4 7 1 , 8 7 8 . 0 0

- 6-

[PROPOSED]

UDGiViENT

ON

JURY

VERDICT


7/9

M

N

U

o

m

U

~

Q

Z

n~

n

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1

0

1

1

1

2

1

3

14

1

5

16

1

7

1

8

19

2

0

2

1

22

2

3

24

25

26

2

7

28

NOW THEREFORE

T

IS

ORDERED ADJUDGED

AND DECREED

h a t

P l a i n t i f f

M n a k s h i

Jafa-Bodden, r e c o v e r t h e amount of

7 , 3 9 6 , 4 3 2 . 0 0 from

Defendants

Bikram

Choudhury, Bikram s Yoga

College

Of

n d i a L . P . ; Bikram, n c . ;

and

Bikram Choudhury

Yoga,

I

n c .

P l a i n t i f f ' s

A p p l i c a t i o n

f o r

A t t o r n e y s

Fees and Costs t o be h e a r d

a n d

c o n s i d e r e d

b y

t h e

Court t a

a t e r

d a t e .

D

a t e d :

The

Honorable Mark M o o n e y

J

udge

of

h e

S u p e r i o r

Court

-

7-

[PROPOSED]

UDGMEfVT

ON

JURY

VERDICT


8/9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1

0

1 1

12

1

3

1

4

1

5

1

6

1

7

1

8

1

9

20

2

1

2

2

23

24

2

5

2

6

2

7

28

PROOFOF

SERVICE

.C.P. 1013A,

015.5)

S

TATE

OFCALIFORNIA

I

am

employed

i n

t h e

county

of

Los

Angeles,

S t a t e

of C a l i f o r n i a . I

am

v e r

t h e

age

of

e

i g h t e e n

y e a r s and

not a p a r t y

t o

t h e

w i t h i n

a c t i o n ;

my

u s i n e s s

a d d r e s s

i s 100 W i l s h i r e Boule-

v a r d , 2 1 s t

F l o o r ,

Santa

Monica,

a l i f o r n i a

90401.

O

n

January 28, 2016, I s e r v e d t h e f o r e g o i n g document, d e s c r i b e d

fPROPOSEDI

J

UDGMENT

ON

JURY VERDICT; n

t h e i n t e r e s t e d

p a r t i e s i n

t h i s

a c t i o n

by

p l a c i n g

t h e

t r u e

c

o p i e s

t h e r e o f

n c l o s e d

i n

s e a l e d

envelopes

a d d r e s s e d a s

s t a t e d

on

t h e a t t a c h e d

m a i l i n g

l i s t

X

Y

MAIL

I

d e p o s i t e d

such

envelope i n t h e mail a t Santa

Monica, C a l i f o r n i a .

Th e

e

nvelope was mailed w i t h

p o s t a g e

t h e r e o n f u l l y

p r e p a i d .

X

s o l l o w s : I am r e a d i l y f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e f i rm s

p r a c t i c e

of

o l l e c t i o n

and

p

r o c e s s i n g correspondence

f o r

m a i l i n g .

Under

t h a t p r a c t i c e

i t

would

be

d e p o s i t e d w i t h

U

S . p o s t a l s e r v i c e

on

t h a t

same

day

w i t h p o s t a g e t h e r e o n

f u l l y

p r e p a i d

a t

S a n t a

M

o n i c a , C a l i f o r n i a

i n

t h e

o r d i n a r y

c o u r s e

of

u s i n e s s .

I am ware

t h a t

on motion of h e

p a r t y

s e r v e d ,

s e r v i c e

i s

presumed i n v a l i d i f p o s t a l c a n c e l l a t i o n

d a t e o r

p o s t a g e

m e t e r

d

a t e

i s more

than

one

day

a f t e r d a t e of e p o s i t f o r m a i l i n g i n

a f f i d a v i t .

BY PERSONAL

SERVICE caused such

envelope

t o

be d e l i v e r e d

by hand t o

t h e

o

f f i c e s of h e a d d r e s s e e . I

d e l i v e r e d t o a n

a u t h o r i z e d

c o u r i e r

o r

d r i v e r t o be

d e l i v e r e d

on

t h e

same

d a t e .

XY

ELECTRONIC

SERVICE

d e l i v e r e d such

document v i a e l e c t r o n i c s e r v i c e t o

t h e

o

f f i c e s

of

h e

a d d r e s s e e .

BY

OVERNIGHT DELIVERY

caused

such

envelope t o be d e p o s i t e d

w i t h

a d e l i v e r y

s

e r v i c e

( F e d e r a l

Express) n Santa Monica,

a l i f o r n i a ,

f o r

o v e r n i g h t

d e l i v e r y

t o t h e

a d d r e s s e s

s e t

f

o r t h on

t h e a t t a c h e d

m a i l i n g l i s t

Y FACSIMILE

faxed a copy

of

t h e

above- d e s c r i b e d document

t o

t h e

i n t e r e s t e d

p

a r t i e s a s

s e t

f o r t h on t h e

a t t a c h e d m a i l i n g l i s t

E

x e c u t e d

on

January

28, 2016

a t

Santa Monica,

a l i f o r n i a .

X

State) d e c l a r e

under

p e n a l t y

of

e r j u r y under t h e

laws-~f

h e

S t a t e

of a l i f o r n i a

t h a t

t h e

a

bove i s

t r u e

and c o r r e c t .

/

M

indy Puchalt

N

ame

Signature


9/9

1

olden

v. Bikran~

S

u p e r i o r

Court of h e S t a t e of

a l i f o r n i a Los

Angeles County

2

ase No.:

BC

12041

3

Carla

Minnard, sq.

4

HE

MINNARD

LAW

IRM

4

100 Redwood

Rd., u i t e 145

5

akland,CA

4619

Phone:

510-479-1475

6

a c s i m i l e : (415)

58-5588

c

arlaminnard

minnardlaw.com

7

IA

EMAIL

.S.

MAIL

Ro b e r t N .

afoya, sq .

8

AFOYA

& ARCIA,

LP

3

16

W.

S t r e e t

9

u i t e

1000

L

os

Angeles,

CA

0012

1

0

T e l :

(213)617-0600

F

ax:

213)617-2226

1

1

VIA

EMAIL

.S.

MAIL

12

Lucien A .

chmit,

I I

A

LBRIGHT,

YEE

&

CHMIT,

LP

13

888

West

6 t r e e t

1

4

loor

1

4

Los An

l e s CA

0017

1

5

16

1

7

1

8

1

9

20

2

1

22

2

3

24

2

5

2

6

2

7

2

8

Co-Counsel

o r

P l a i n t i f f

A

t t o r n e y s

f o r

Defendant,

B

IKi2AM

CHOUDHURY

A

t t o r n e y s

f o r

Defendants,

B

IKRAM S

YOGA

COLLEGE OF

INDIA

L P . ;

BIKRAM,

INC.; AND

BIKRAM

CHOUDHURY

YOGA,

NC.

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