Atlanta energy healer accused of sexual assault
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The northeast Atlanta location of The EAST Institute. Photo: Thomas Wheatley/Axios
An Atlanta man who runs a business offering shaman and Eastern medicine has been accused of sexual assault by three women who said they underwent individual "energy healing sessions."
Why it matters: The accusations are unfolding in three separate Cobb and Fulton counties civil lawsuits involving Jeff Glattstein, a tech entrepreneur turned healer who says he's been "initiated into numerous Shamanic tribes" and trained in the "traditional healing power of Plant Medicines."
Zoom in: In separate filings, Glattstein called the women's allegations false and defamatory. He denied he engaged in improper non-consensual touch and said the women provided informed consent.
- He alleges two of the accusers and another ex-employee are trying to damage his reputation and his wellness business.
- Patrick Ewing, Glattstein's lawyer, told Axios the legal team does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Context: Glattstein and his wife, Lena Franklin, incorporated the EAST Institute in 2021 and train and treat people using traditional Eastern therapies, microdosing, and more. The northeast Atlanta business also lists locations in New Jersey, Peru, and Belize.
- The two speak at conferences about their workshops and events and give interviews about the therapeutic uses of psilocybin, ayahuasca, and other psychoactive plant medicines.
Details: In a Fulton County Superior Court lawsuit, a former student named Mica Davis and ex-employee Jacqueline Wigder say Glattstein violated the EAST Institute's own code of ethics when he allegedly touched them in a sexual manner during separate sessions from 2021 to 2023.
- The two plaintiffs are seeking damages from Glattstein and EAST, which they say were aware of Glattstein's alleged misconduct. The Daily Report first wrote about the lawsuit.
- Andrew Beal, a lawyer representing Wigder, Davis, and other ex-employees, told Axios he did not believe that the women approached law enforcement about the allegations.
Wigder and Davis allege Glattstein touched their breasts and genital areas during treatments that were supposed to help them deal with chronic migraines and pain and past personal traumas.
- When confronted by the plaintiffs and other women in person and during a virtual call about the alleged assaults, Glattstein and Franklin responded with denials, deflections, and dismissals, according to the complaint.
The other side: On Monday, Glattstein and EAST filed a counterclaim against Wigder, alleging she told current and former students about the accusations as part of a smear campaign while she and a third accuser, Natalie Mangiarancina, built a competing wellness business. (Wigder's lawyer Milinda Brown says their client "vehemently" disputes the counterclaims.)
- In September, Glattstein filed a civil lawsuit in Cobb County alleging breach of contract and defamation against Mangiarancina, EAST's former digital marketing manager.
- In an affidavit, Mangiaracina accuses Glattstein of "touching and rubbing my private parts" during sessions and "attempting to groom me for sex." He denies those allegations.
What's next: Beal told Axios he expects the case to play out for "quite some time."