Yoga teacher pleads not guilty to charges of indecent exposure

BY KIMBERLY TOWNSEND AND MARIE RICHARDSON SANTA CLARA, Calif.

(AP) A yoga teacher pleaded not guilty Thursday to indecent exposure charges in the California case that rocked the national yoga scene.

Amber Lee Williams, 32, was sentenced to probation and placed on three years of supervised release.

Prosecutors say Williams showed her breasts and buttocks to another teacher during a yoga class in 2013.

Williams admitted to having unprotected sex with the teacher but denied having any sexual contact with another student.

Williams’ attorneys said she had been sexually harassed by the yoga teacher after they had a disagreement over how much time to teach her classes.

The case came to light in September, when a former yoga instructor told The Associated Press about an incident in which he said Williams masturbated in front of him while he was performing yoga poses in the classroom.

The former teacher said he was stunned when Williams began masturbating in front to his face while he held the class in the hallway.

He said she then grabbed his crotch and began rubbing his genitals.

The teacher reported it to the district and the yoga instructor resigned.

The district released a statement Thursday saying it “reacted quickly” after the incident, and the department is investigating.

Williams had worked as a yoga instructor in Santa Clara for more than two decades.