SoulCycle NYC instructors are causing controversy *again*
SoulCycle did it again! — But this time, their celebrity instructor got caught in the act. SoulCycle’s NYC instructor Stacey Griffith called herself an “educator” to beat the vaccination queue.
According to The New York Post, SoulCycle’s NYC instructor Stacey Griffith is under fire for stretching the truth about her profession to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Griffith is also quite popular in New York City and has worked with SoulCycle’s top celebrity clients like Madonna & Kelly Ripa.
As reported by The New York Post, Stacey Griffith received her vaccine at Port Richmond High School on State Island’s North Shore and promoted her success the only way we know how — on Instagram.
Vaccine celebration
Stacey Griffith captioned her celebratory Instagram post: “VACCINE DAY! Step one of the Moderna magic!! One hour drive to STATEN ISLAND worth every minute! It takes a village.”
Since the NYC instructor’s post on Instagram, the fitness company sent a statement to VOX: “SoulCycle plays no role in organizing or obtaining vaccinations for instructors or other employees nor do we encourage any of our SoulCycle employees to seek vaccine priority as educators.”
SoulCycle added: “Stacey Griffith operated in a personal capacity in applying for a NY State COVID-19 vaccine”.
Educators vs essential workers
The Washington Post reported that American politician Bill De Blasio confirmed in a press conference on Sunday that educators can’t qualify as essential workers for COVID-19 vaccines. Because the vulnerable & essential workers are at top priority, school teachers & fitness instructors shouldn’t be allowed to receive the vaccine until this round is complete.
Bill De Blasio stated: “It doesn’t sound like someone who should’ve gotten vaccinated to me”. The politician continued: “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.”
Instructor’s defense
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Stacey Griffith claimed: “Having me vaccinated can stop the short spread within groups. . . I function as a common point for many overlapping people.”
Stacey Griffith further explained: “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.”
According to People, the NYC instructor described her Instagram post as creating hope as it proved that she had “confidence in the system, in our government”.
After receiving much criticism on social media, the SoulCycle instructor posted an apology on Instagram on February 1st. Stacey Griffith stated: “I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent action in receiving the vaccine. I made a terrible error in judgement and for that I am truly sorry.”
New York City problems
Stacey Griffith isn’t the only problem with New York City’s distribution of vaccines. In fact, People reported that the city “had to reschedule 23,000” vaccination appointments due to the lack of vaccines. This means that “Phase 2” may come much later than expected.
Who is eligible?
Though SoulCycle NYC’s instructor Stacey Griffith didn’t match the criteria, you & your loved ones can still receive the COVID-19 vaccine if eligible. The New York City Health Department announced that those who are “sixty-five years old or older, correction staff, first responders, public transit workers, public grocery store workers, and people working and living in group homeless shelters and other group settings”.
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Do you think Stacey Griffith was right to call herself an “educator” to receive the vaccine? Let us know in the comments below.
