Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg
A woman in Singapore alleged on Jul. 31 that a yoga instructor at Trust Yoga molested her during a class on Jul. 11.
Trust Yoga has said the teacher in question is taking a leave of absence while internal investigations are pending.
Instructor allegedly molested her
In a Twitter thread on Jul. 31, the woman — whose Twitter account has since been made private — detailed what had allegedly happened to her in the class at Trust Yoga.
The woman claimed that she herself is also certified to teach yoga classes, has been practising yoga for around two years, and is "VERY comfortable" receiving adjustments to her yoga positions.
She had attended a class at Trust Yoga at 4pm on Jul. 11, and alleged that during the class, the instructor had smacked her left butt cheek and stroked her butt and crotch for around three seconds while she was in an inversion (a type of yoga pose where the heart is higher than the head).
The woman wrote that he "acted as if nothing untoward had happened and just continued teaching the class", but that she was so stunned at the "gross violation" that she began to kneel down on her mat a lot and dissociate from the situation.
According to the tweets, after the woman told a staff member what happened, he told her that it was not the instructor's first time doing this.
Trust Yoga owners said they would take "strict action"
The woman claimed that she and her father went back to Trust Yoga on Jul. 12 to speak with the owners, and that the owners said that this was the first time this happened, and that they would take "strict action".
However, on Aug. 2, the woman shared an Instagram story showing that he was still listed on Trust Yoga's class schedule for the week of Aug. 3 to Aug. 9.
According to the tweets, she filed a police report about the incident.
Another Twitter user claimed this was not the first time that a complaint had been made about a Trust Yoga instructor making female students uncomfortable by touching them in an inappropriate manner.
Trust Yoga: teacher is on leave of absence
In a statement shared on Facebook on Monday (Aug. 3) night, Trust Yoga stated that they are aware of the allegations of sexual assault, and that the instructor "has agreed to take a leave of absence" pending internal investigations.
The statement added that the issue has been brought to the attention of the authorities, and that Trust Yoga has extended its full cooperation in assisting in investigations.
"At the outset, we take allegations of sexual misconduct very seriously," the statement reads.
Trust Yoga also added that students who do not wish to be adjusted during classes may pick up a "No Adjustment" card to "communicate his or her practice preference to the instructor."
You can read Trust Yoga's full statement here:
When Mothership contacted the woman on Aug. 4, she confirmed that she is seeking legal aid.
Top photos via Trust Yoga.