Posted on 05/03/2023 11:53:46 AM PDT by nickcarraway
A woman’s dream retreat at the Esalen Institute on the Central Coast quickly turned into a nightmare as she faced the repeated use of racial slurs in a video played by one instructor during her stay there last fall, according to a lawsuit.
Nicole Evans, a Black woman based in Los Angeles, has filed a civil suit seeking at least $1 million in damages against the instructor who reportedly showed the video, and the New Age center, which allegedly failed to take action. The suit says the “last thing she expected was to be met with ... one of the most humiliating and traumatizing experiences of her life.”
Advertisement ‘The room became deafeningly silent’ Evans booked a stay at Esalen for Sept. 5 through 9, 2022, according to the December 2022 lawsuit filed with the Monterey County Superior Court.
On Sept. 7, Evans reportedly went to a meditation class taught by Lorin Roche, who is identified in the lawsuit as a “faculty member of Esalen with decades of tenure at the institute.” The suit says Evans was the “only Black person in attendance” in Roche’s class, “while the majority of attendees were white.”
The class took a turn when Roche allegedly played a YouTube clip featuring a Black comedian. “It is unclear, to say the least, why Roche was playing a clip of a comic during a meditation class; at first the attendees were laughing at the comic’s routine,” the lawsuit alleges. “But then [the] comic used the term ‘[N-word],’ saying that the Irish people were the ‘[N-words] of Europe.’ Suddenly the room became deafeningly silent, save for a few gasps, because everyone in attendance was in shock.”
The suit further alleges that Roche’s actions were deliberate: “Roche was aware that the video prominently featured the offensive term, because as the comedian used the term, Roche looked directly at [Evans] presumably to see her reaction to that part of the bit.”
Recommended One dead, 4 taken to hospital after shooting in Midtown Atlanta, police say ‘She began to cry’ The lawsuit says Evans was “completely confounded, shocked, and overwhelmed with emotion. Some of those in attendance turned to look at [Evans], adding to the intense humiliation and fear she was feeling.”
The lawsuit says Roche “inexplicably rewound the clip back to the part where the comedian used the offensive term and played it again. At this point, some of [Evans’] classmates groaned and some got up and walked out.”
In the immediate wake of the alleged incident, the lawsuit describes Evans as “paralyzed” and unsure what to do: “She felt like a fish in a fishbowl with everyone glaring at her, which in turn made her feel unsafe.
“Her head spinning, [Evans] left the classroom to go get some air. While she was outside, some of her classmates came up to her apparently to see if she was okay, but it only exacerbated how she was feeling and she began to cry.”
Afterward, Evans “contemplated leaving Esalen,” the suit says, but it was already dark, and she didn’t want to drive. “She ultimately decided to stay, but she had nightmares that evening,” the lawsuit states.
The next day, another guest at the institute whom Evans had befriended reportedly encouraged her to reconsider leaving right away. With the support of her friend, Evans “resolved to stay at Esalen for the rest of her booking,” according to the lawsuit.
‘Deflated and bamboozled’ Evans was scheduled to be in Roche’s class again Sept. 8, the day after the first class, but she did not want to attend and “sought to join a different class instead,” the lawsuit says.
As Evans was walking to the bathroom, Roche’s wife, Camille Maurine, another instructor who the lawsuit says was apprised of the incident by other students who were in Roche’s class the day before, “saw her approaching and stopped her.” Evans reportedly told Maurine that she thought Roche should apologize. “Camille said she would talk to Roche and urged [Evans] to come to class,” the lawsuit says.
Evans “reluctantly agreed” to attend Roche’s class again “in the hopes of reaching some resolution to the harrowing experience,” the lawsuit says. Maurine attended the class as well.
During that class, Evans “approached Camille and held her hands,” the lawsuit says. Roche allegedly took a picture of the two holding hands, without Evans’ knowledge. The lawsuit says Evans did not receive an apology, leaving her feeling “deflated and bamboozled.” “It was clear Roche had no intention of apologizing,” the lawsuit says.
Immediately following the session, as students were leaving, one of Evans’ friends, identified in the lawsuit as Brittney, reportedly confronted Roche. “In response and without any remorse, Roche said, ‘I’m sorry that you regular people do not understand the brilliance of the video,’” the lawsuit alleges.
The alleged nonapology caused Evans to feel “humiliated and enraged” once more, the lawsuit states.
Later that day, Roche’s wife Maurine again reportedly sought out Evans and encouraged her to attend a meeting with an Esalen director, “presumably about the events surrounding Roche’s conduct,” the lawsuit says. Just before the meeting, Roche reportedly gave a “forced” apology to Evans.
“After the meeting, the director said he was sorry that this had happened to her,” the lawsuit says.
Jury trial set for Tuesday The lawsuit says Evans also believes that Roche “continued to make negative comments about [Evans], accusing her of trying to ‘sabotage’ him. Roche showed absolutely no remorse for his appalling conduct.” It further alleges that Esalen “never engaged in any effective disciplinary or corrective action against Roche or his unlawful conduct.”
In the wake of her stay, the lawsuit says Evans “has suffered and will continue to suffer general and special damages, including severe and profound pain and emotional distress, anxiety, depression, headaches, tension, and other physical ailments, as well as medical expenses, and expenses for psychological counseling and treatment.”
Evans is suing for violation of her civil rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and negligent supervision and retention of an employee.
She seeks “an amount of no less than $1 million” from co-defendants Esalen and Roche. Her attorneys, Ruben Guerra and Tizoc Perez-Casillas, have not returned SFGATE’s calls at press time.
A juried trial is set to begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 2, in Monterey.
Esalen responds to the accusations SFGATE visited Esalen on April 26 and spoke with Ana Gadban, the institute’s director of operations.
Gadban characterized the lawsuit’s allegations as “heartbreaking.” In reference to the instructor’s alleged actions, she said it was hard to believe “that someone would do that under the cover of our brand.” Gadban also noted Roche was a visiting instructor and not a full-time Esalen staff member when the incident is alleged to have occurred.
Roche lives in Marina Del Rey in southern California. According to his Instagram, he has been “practicing, researching, and teaching meditation since 1968.” His current role is founder and teacher at Radiance Sutras Meditation Teacher Training, where he works alongside his wife, Maurine.
Neither Roche nor Maurine are currently listed as faculty members of Esalen.
SFGATE reached out to Roche for comment, but did not hear back from him at press time.
‘Sad and difficult situation’ Since its founding in 1962, the 27 acres that make up Esalen have played host to celebrities and everyday people alike looking for spiritual or physical healing. The Big Sur institution has also been featured recently as the go-to place for Silicon Valley bosses to recharge.
“A natural wonder of waterfalls, ancient trees and rustic ocean-view cabins, [Esalen] has provided retreat to more than 1 million people, including Joan Baez, Beatle George Harrison, physicians Dean Ornish and Andrew Weil, noted psychotherapist Abraham Maslow, and writers Henry Miller and Aldous Huxley,” SFGATE wrote on May 18, 2015.
During the initial days of George Floyd protests, Esalen acknowledged its own shortcomings involving race, posting the following on its website on June 1, 2020: “We have not taken systemic and systematic racism seriously enough. We have not intentionally engaged in the inquiry and practice of anti-racism. We have not sufficiently struggled with all of the explicit and implicit, loud and quiet ways that the long histories of American enslavement and racism continue to distort, suppress and weaken our spirits, bodies and minds.”
While she declined to comment further on specific allegations in the lawsuit, Esalen’s Gadban said the institute goes “far and above any organization” when it comes to following state and federal civil rights and discrimination laws.
“This is just a really sad and difficult situation,” she concluded.
Lefties killing lefties, fun and games
Can the black comic be brought in as a cross defendant - I mean, speaking, recording and then distributing for profit the heinous word would appear to be his/her fault, no?
We need to get back to “sticks and stones”.
It’s always nice to see lefties eating each other alive.
She better not piss off any Scientologists.
And may that be soon!
Driving by Cracker Barrel is one of the most humiliating and traumatizing experiences of my life. I’m suing for 10 trillion dollars. Beats working!
Hmmm… a black woman hears a BLACK COMEDIAN use the “N-word” and says that was so traumatizing that she must be given A MILLION DOLLARS.
You can’t make this stuff up.
Lunatics.
More fallout from dangerous obsolete 19’th century farm equipment that was never properly decommissioned.
At least she didn’t pull a Will Smith and slap him on stage!
So some black snowflake took exception to some black comedian using the N-Word?
Really? She then began to cry and have nightmares?
Bull Freaking Cheese.
The suit says the “last thing she expected was to be met with ... one of the most humiliating and traumatizing experiences of her life.”
...
If true, she has had a glorious life.
not cool
“We need to get back to “sticks and stones”.”
Are you nutz? There is no reparations in “Words will never hurt me”. We are talking millions here, doncha know.
I went out for a sandwich at lunch. It was served on white bread. Talking to my lawyer now.
when will she be suing all the cRAP “artists”?
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