A popular Peloton instructor says he was ridiculed for not wanting to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and claims to have suffered “mental and emotional anguish” over his boss’ “continuous references to [his] Irish ethnicity.” That’s according to a lawsuit against the company filed Wednesday in Manhattan Supreme Court by Daniel McKenna, known to fans as the “Irish Yank.” McKenna, who earned $260,000 a year from Peloton, said he had undergone surgery for a torn pectoral muscle and thought the vaccine would somehow impede his recovery, leading to “ridicule and… disparaging remarks” from his supervisor. He finally got the jab for “fear of disrupting his career and/or employment with Peloton,” but was fired “for cause” on Sept. 11, according to McKenna, who argues in his suit he has never been given a reason for his termination. He said his boss also used Irish “stereotypes” and once “nonchalantly asked… whether he was drunk at work.” The Daily Beast has reached out to Peloton for comment.
