The clip was believed to be of Reginald D Hunter, an American stand up comedian from Georgia who is based in the UK. The instructor then rewound the clip and replayed the joke, causing some people to walk out of the class and leaving Evans 'completely confounded, shocked and overwhelmed with emotion', it is claimed. Roche, who the suit calls 'a faculty member with decades of tenure at the institute', and some other attendees looked directly at Evans, the only black person present, when the clip was shown. The institute offers a range of classes and workshops covering activities from mindfulness and yoga to writing and dance He allegedly played a YouTube video of the comedy routine which attendees initially found funny, but 'the room became deafeningly silent' when the n-word was used in a joke about Irish people. Accommodation ranges from a 'sleeping bag space', which costs $900 for four nights, to private suites which cost $8,000.Įvans took a medication class led by Roche on September 7 2022, midway through her four-night stay.

The Esalen Institute is a popular escape for the rich and famous and bills itself as a 'holistic retreat and educational institute'. She claims the California retreat and its employees violated her civil rights. Nicole Evans, from Los Angeles, claims instructor Lorin Roche showed a video of a black comedian who joked that 'Irish people were the n*****s of Europe'.Įvans is seeking at least $1 million in damages over the alleged incident, which is described in the lawsuit as 'one of the most humiliating and traumatizing experiences of her life'. A black woman has sued the iconic Esalen Institute in Big Sur after an instructor at the new age retreat allegedly played a video with racist slurs during a meditation class.

The Perfect Retreat by Kate Forster