A New York SoulCycle instructor apologized on Monday for cutting in line to get a coronavirus vaccination.
“I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent action in receiving the vaccine,” Stacy Griffith, a popular instructor for SoulCycle, wrote on her account. “I made a terrible error in judgment and for that I am truly sorry.”
“Having me vaccinated can stop the short spread within groups!” Griffith told the Daily Beast. “I function as a common point for many overlapping people. In my profession of health and wellness as a teacher, it’s my priority daily to keep my community and their respiratory systems operating at full capacity so they can beat this virus if they are infected by it. I can only teach to them if I am healthy myself.”
Vaccines are supposed to be directed toward the elderly, people with pre-existing health conditions and essential workers such as teachers and firefighters. Some communities have also sought to ensure that communities hardest-hit by the virus receive access amid reports that wealthier and white neighborhoods are getting the vaccines more quickly.
Many were outraged at the news that Griffith had received the vaccine so early in the process, including New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), who said, “I don’t think someone who shows up and says, ‘Hey, I’m a SoulCycle instructor’ should have qualified unless there’s some other factor there. That should have been caught in the application process.”
New York has opened their vaccine up to staff who work with preschool to 12th grade students and college professor who have in-person classes, but it has been difficult for them to receive the vaccine.
SoulCycle condemned Griffith’s actions, saying that their instructors should not be attempting to get the vaccine under the guise of being an educator.
Vox reported that Griffith is one of the best-paid instructors for the company, receiving $800 per class.