Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Woman Meditating At Equinox Pure Yoga Says She Was Interrupted By Masturbating Maintenance Man
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 5, 2013
Modified Feb 5, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Alan Poulson Photography / Shutterstock
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 5, 2013
Modified Feb 5, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A frequent yoga practitioner at Equinox Pure Yoga West on the Upper West Side has filed a lawsuit against the gym's parent company after her meditation was allegedly interrupted by a masturbating maintenance man. Keiko Herskovitz was lying on her back meditating alone in Shavasana (corpse pose) after a yoga class on January 26th when she says she became conscious of someone entering the room.
According to court papers obtained by the Post, she ignored the individual's presence until she "felt that there was a person next to her, and she opened her eyes to find a Pure Yoga employee, a maintenance associate, about two feet away, masturbating." Herskovitz, 55, says she "confronted the maintenance employee and asked, 'what are you doing?' " at which point, the man, 19, "quickly covered himself with a yoga blanket and ran out of the room."
Herskovitz complained to the manager, who allegedly told her that the individual "was a good employee" but that he would “look into it.” But despite a subsequent email assuring her that they were taking the incident seriously, Pure Yoga never notified the police. Herskovitz did, and says the matter is still under investigation. A source "close to Pure Yoga" tells the Daily News, "Management is cooperating with a current police investigation, but police have already said there is no evidence to support the claim."
In the meantime, Herskovitz is suing Related Companies, which owns Equinox, for unspecified damages.
Tagged
equinox
lawsuits
pure yoga
pure yoga west
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Bronx community hosts vigil for boy killed in e-bike fire
Zion Maine died Wednesday after a lithium-ion battery ignited, killing him and injuring four members of his family.
By
Carol Chen
Published Oct 29, 2026 at 9:22 p.m. ET
8 people charged in $7M SNAP benefit fraud scheme
The scam impacted thousands of people, according to the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
8 people charged in $7M SNAP benefit fraud scheme
The scam impacted thousands of people, according to the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
By
Giulia Heyward
California man was shot by a NJ detective in Moonachie, officials say
By
Kaya Laterman
The NYPD is confiscating e-bikes along a clogged East Village street
By
Willow Higgins
New Yorkers enrolled in SNAP will get more money for fresh produce next year
By
Giulia Heyward
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .