Huge news yoga fans. If you’ve been following the story, Steven Jon Roger, of Aspen CO has been found guilty on two counts of unlawful sexual contact and must register as a sex offender.
Via Aspen Daily News:
A jury of four men and two women convicted former yoga instructor Steven Roger on Tuesday night of forcing his hand down the pants of two female students during classes at the O2 Aspen yoga studio in 2008.
Roger, 49, must now register as a sex offender and faces a possible 18 months of jail time for each count of misdemeanor unlawful sexual contact. He will be sentenced on Oct. 26.
With no physical evidence the case was based around “he-said, she-said”. While the Prosecutor asked ‘why would these clearly emotional women lie?’ While the defense asked ‘why would Mr. Roger, knowing the consequences, throw his life away?’
This is all very sad no matter whose side your on. But we only hope this serves as a message to us all, as teachers, students, practitioners of life, to be more conscious and respectful of those around us.
We could also follow this simple rule: No hands in the pants people!
——
Earlier…
‘No hands in the pants people’?
Kind of flippant, don’t you think?
seriously. more profound advice is welcome!
or maybe we can choose to lighten up a little.
Haha! I liked your last comment. Made me smile. 🙂
I am a yoga teacher and practicioner. I have taught and taken more classes than I could ever possibly count. I have studied with all kinds of teachers in many disciplines; I give privates, I take privates, I attend huge classes, small classes, workshops, you name it. I adjust and touch students; it is an important and effective teaching tool. I know yoga (I say this with great humility and respsect for the practice.) I also know the accused very, very well. These charges and accusations are false. It is not possible, in the context of a class, to do what they say he did. These women did privates with him? And he didn’t “try” anything then? He waited til 30 other people were around? Its illogical. Someone in that community obviously wanted to ruin him, for whatever reason. But to convict this man on these ridiculous accusations is tragic. I am in disbelief. The world has gone mad.
Agree w you, have a good friend, teaching yoga 4 Years being accused of crazee sht by a mentally disturbed ex girlfriend. She wants revenge for being left. Slander is illegal but hard 2 sue for.
Pam Chamberlain you told me that you were raped by a policeman when you were a young adult. I think it’s a pattern. Rob Bispo is my Dad and would never do anything like this. Most all rape aren’t even reported because they don’t want to come forward, but you Pam have been raped twice and keep coming forward. Just a little strange. Also the time you were dating my dad you were a very strange woman.
Lee D – Agree w you, have a good friend, teaching yoga 4 Years being accused of crazee sht by a mentally disturbed ex girlfriend. She wants revenge for being left. Slander is illegal but hard 2 sue for.
I know the yoga instructors quit well.A lot of them are just quacks also a lot are perverted and many use drugs.So I am not supprised about wat happened there.
I don’t know who you’re referring to but squirt was on drugs all the time and I’m willing to take a drug test anytime. And a polygraph test anytime
Rob Bispo was my first Yoga teacher at Indigo Wellness Center in Salem Oregon and Project ABLE was convcted of assuault after he raped and beat me after I refused to sleep with him. After he was convicted he came after me again and was arrested 2 times for violating probation. I now am trying to find out how to expose him to the Yoga community as the predator that he is. I was vulnerable and he took advantage of me in a place that should be safe. He also has said terrible things about me to try and save his reputation. Some people believe him even after he plead guilty.
A Yoga teacher forwarded this site to me to read.
We had been discussing what we do -she a teacher and I a
student– to protect students from known preditors. I verify
Squirt’s assault by this man Rob or Robbie David Bispo. She is a friend and fellow student of Yoga. I went with her to a number of court hearings and sentencing dates in support as the man’s students and friends took his side cause it was too hard for them to deal with the sad truth they wanted to remain in the dark. We all just “loved” Rob and his dedication and perserverance to start teaching. None of us knew of his past rap sheet not only from our state but from another state he moved from where he had at least 7 crimainal offenses. Drugs, resisting arrest, and two counts of assault and meancing his partner/ wife. He did have past felonies. He raped squirt in his home and beat her. With no eveidence for the rape the state went for beating and assult charge. This man is on probation till 2014 such is the need for the state to keep tabs on this man considering his past vilolent record. He fooled all around him and worked with fragile vulnurable people in special programs . These were small, funded programs who did not check his background. WHY NOT?!! Rob has taken up yoga again in this town and lies about his background. I know the studios he is in now and the owners did not care to check out his background or if they did they did not care about their liability or did not believe the charges. Just as all people in the above comments. ” Oh , I dont believe it he was such a good teacher.” Some people swear that the Holacost was not real –come out of your dreams. It is hard to hear such things happen. Sorry, life is not fair. Students! demand background checks! (criminal) and complaints to studio. It is ethically the business or owners duty to check on staff where- in health and safety of individuals is at stake. Folks get quite judgemental when it is not them or family who incurred the personal assault. Gee , yogi folks use your senses more. Don’t Scout leaders do it, dont teachers do it? dont trusted coaches do it? don’t priests do it. Now, it seems yoga teachers hold a place of esteem that outstrips all those professions according to most of the above posts. It happens folks- even tho you dont like to think so.
My name is Rob Bispo and this is my response to Squirt with whom I was in a (sexual) relationship with for two years. We were boyfriend and girlfriend and I did not rape or beat this woman. I don’t hurt people and I do not abuse women. You can ask my daughter, my ex-wife or any girlfriend I’ve ever been with in my whole life.
I am a yoga instructor and helping others is my passion and my love in this life. This woman has slandered my name and reputation and tried to destroy me and my career. Slander is very hard to prove. I have always been willing to take a polygraph test to prove my innocence, and I am still willing to do so. Since I have been a yoga instructor I have had over 300 women in my house a lot of times by themselves. I also run an Airbnb from my home, no one else is coming forward with accusations of rape. That is because I did not rape or abuse Squirt, and I am NOT a predator or a rapist.
As for violating probation I never went to see Squirt nor did I contact her, but she came over to my house on three different occasions and called the police. On two of those occasions I called the police and made a record of it which is something she cannot dispute because it’s on file. She came over to my house and took pictures to prove that she was there so I would get arrested.
I have not said anything untrue about this situation. The only reason I pled guilty to the assault charge is because they told me I would have to spend 30 days in jail to wait to go to court to prove my innocence. I wanted out of jail, that’s it. When you’re not guilty of something the last thing you want to do is spend 30 days in jail. When this went to court the Judge in Chambers told my sister and I that Squirt had done this to other men, that I was not the first, and that she needed to get help.
I’ve known Rob for almost 10 years & remember the hell Pam Chamberlain put him thru. THEY DATED boyfriend and girlfriend 4 over 2 years. Everything she wrote was SLANDER & it’s ILLEGAL
I was married to Rob Bispo for 25 years, and this kind of behavior doesn’t sound like him I can’t believe he would do something this horrible I just don’t believe it sorry… Rob’s a kind man he’s always been kind and gentle and I’ve never seen him act out in this way ever…
This woman ‘Squirt’ who’s real name is is a mentally disturbed wack job. I’ve known Rob since 2009 and remember the hell his EX GIRLFRIEND put him thru. They dated 4 over 2 years. When he tried 2 break up, she wanted revenge. Everything she did 2 him was vicious & intentional all meant 2 hurt him. I’ve been lucky 2 have Rob be a part of my non profit Portland Burn Survivors & know that not only is
This woman ‘Squirt’ who’s real name is Pam Chamberlain is a mentally disturbed wack job. I’ve known Rob since 2009 and remember the hell that Pam, his EX GIRLFRIEND put him thru. They dated 4 over 2 years. When he tried 2 break up, she wanted revenge. Everything she did 2 him was vicious & intentional & all meant 2 hurt him. I’ve been lucky 2 have Rob be a part of my non profit Portland Burn Survivors & know that not only is he incapable of any kind of assault, Pam Chamberlain needs 2 be in jail or hospitalized. Slander is illegal, but hard to sue for. Freakin B HE DOESN’T WANT U leave him alone!
Pam Chamberlain why not use your real name? U are lying & even the judge said ‘she’s done this before’ He Doesn’t Love U anymore, He Doesn’t Want U in his life. Dot. Go find your next victim Pam Chamberlain.
This is a bit much. Where was Pam’s husband? Why is he not mentioned. What did he have to say about her going so often to another man house even over night. Was he even in the state then. I don’t think until the end he was around. I would hope that studios keep her out before she tries to harm another again,or harms them. Yogi Rob may have been a lost soul well before he met such a person. Not many of us knew him way back in his kid years. He is a wonderful humane. I would place my faith in him against any cheating wife any time. If Pam was willing to dishonor her husband so, what would stop her from honoring someone else. Sorry Rob the only
thing you did wrong was trust a cheater. If you cannot be faithful to your husband get a divorce. Then work on finding someone more to your taste,but quit being g a cheater Pam