KPMG manager Yuen Lee has been placed on administrative leave after billionaire investor Bill Ackman shared a video of her in a heated confrontation at a Manhattan gym.
The incident reportedly took place on 16 September at Chelsea Piers Fitness in Manhattan's Flatiron District. A video posted by the advocacy group StopAntisemitism shows Lee speaking to a man who is recording the exchange. The clip was subsequently amplified by Ackman on X, where he tagged KPMG and KPMG US.
Racist Slurs
In the footage, the man tells Lee that she had called him a 'Zionist pig'. Lee responds that she is 'highly educated' and reads books. When he asks her to repeat what she called him, she says 'A Zionist pig' and also calls him racist.
The footage does not show the beginning of the confrontation. That missing context is significant, as Lee gives a different account of how the exchange began. She says in the video that the man approached her to comment on her outfit. She appears to be wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh tied around her waist.
The video quickly became a corporate controversy after Ackman shared it with his audience. Ackman, founder and chief executive of Pershing Square Capital Management, tagged KPMG in his post and questioned the company over the conduct of one of its managers.
Meet Yuen Lee, an assurance manager at KPMG.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) September 16, 2026
Earlier today, she was filmed calling a Jewish man a “Zionist pig” at Chelsea Piers Flatiron.
Imagine being one of her Jewish colleagues at @KPMG. pic.twitter.com/FzgzFRtcr3
Placed on Administrative Leave
KPMG US subsequently confirmed that Lee had been placed on administrative leave while the company followed its internal processes. The firm said it was committed to fostering an inclusive culture free from discrimination and added that there was no place for discriminatory rhetoric within the organisation.
The development put Lee's professional role under public scrutiny. Reports identified her as a KPMG US manager in New York, with StopAntisemitism identifying her specifically as an assurance manager. Professional listings cited by outlets have also linked a Yuen Lee to KPMG's New York operation.
The controversy has also raised questions about the consequences of viral workplace-related videos. Although the encounter happened away from KPMG premises, the woman was identified online as an employee, prompting calls for the firm to respond.
What Is Zionism?
The incident comes amid heightened sensitivity around language on Israel, Palestinians and Zionism. 'Zionist' refers to a person who supports Zionism, a political movement historically associated with support for a Jewish national home and, subsequently, the state of Israel.
The term itself is not synonymous with 'Jewish', although debates over its use can become entangled with allegations of antisemitism. The distinction has become particularly contentious since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, with disagreements over when criticism of Israel or Zionism crosses into antisemitic expression.
An Employment Issue
For KPMG, the immediate response was administrative rather than a final disciplinary finding. Being placed on leave does not itself establish that an employee has violated company policy, and the firm said it was following its procedures.
The controversy has since moved beyond the gym itself, placing renewed attention on how employers respond when employees become the subject of widely circulated social-media footage. With KPMG's internal review underway at the time of the initial reports, the incident highlighted the challenges companies face when off-duty conduct becomes a public matter.
