A male yoga student is suing his yoga instructor, who happens to be married to actor Alec Baldwin, because her over-crowded classroom caused him to exercise to close to a window, which he subsequently put his foot through, as reported by ABC News and several other media outlets.
S.W., 32, has filed suit against Hilaria Thomas for the injuries he sustained in her class on January 15.
The classroom was allegedly so crowded with students that S.W. had no other place to exercise except very close to a closed window. In the course of dismounting from a handstand S.W. lost his footing.
According to S.W.'s attorney, Paul Weitz, during the class at Yoga Vida S.W. "lost his balance and his leg went through the window." In describing his client's injury, Weitz said, "Honestly, he severed his leg really severely. The muscle in his calf is seriously injured to the point where he really cannot use his ankle at all" and has what is referred to as "dropped foot."
S.W. has degrees from Harvard College, Columbia Law School and the Sorbonne in Paris. He is currently a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Yale's Comparative Literature Department.
The amount of damages sought is yet to be specified, according to Weitz, but his client is seeking "a substantial amount…"
Weitz added that S.W.'s injury prevents him from flexing his ankle and moving "it from side to side."
In holding Thomas responsible, Weitz commented, "He shouldn't have been instructed to do it at this close proximity to the window, certainly with the amount of people in the room. You would think they would anticipate that not everybody's going to be doing the exercise perfectly every time."
Defendants named in the lawsuit include Thomas as well as Yoga Vida and the building's owner, 99 University Corp. The suit was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on February 15.
In regards to naming the building as a defendant Weitz said, "We're not really sure at this time [the building] had a permit to even be conducting exercise classes at this kind of space."
Reporters that contacted 99 University Corp were told by a woman that answered the phone that they had not yet been served or filed. The owner of Yoga Vida, who also employs Thomas, did not respond to reporters querying for comment.
A spokesman for the Thomas and Baldwin told reporters, "It's unfortunate (S.W.) was injured but the only one that was responsible was him."
Stating that his client is under the care of a physician, Weitz added that there is the "possibility he will need surgery in the future depending on how he heals. It's nothing personal, you know? Whoever the instructor was, they would have been named. She happens to be a famous person. But if this was Jane Smith, instructor – Jane Smith would have been named."
Baldwin took to his Twitter to announce his feelings about the pending litigation and tweeted to his followers this message: "1 – the class was, IN NO WAY, 'dangerously crowded.' 42 in a class w room for 70."
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