An acting Brooklyn school superintendent embroiled in a controversy involving allegations against her husband has been selected for the permanent job.
Erin Lynch-Reyes, then-interim superintendent of District 21, faced scrutiny after the United Federation of Teachers claimed the union had “good faith basis” to believe her husband, Miguel Reyes, was using a pseudonym to defame one of their reps on social media, the Daily News reported a month ago.
“I’m going to allow you to reintroduce yourself,” Chancellor Kamar Samuels said Monday at I.S. 096 Seth Low in Bensonhurst, where Lynch-Reyes previously served as principal.
“As you know, Superintendent Lynch, she was the acting superintendent. But as of today, she’s formally appointed as the permanent superintendent,” he added, according to a video shared by District 21’s board of PTA presidents.
“Thank you so much. Thank you for putting your trust into me,” Lynch-Reyes replied. “There’s nothing that I’m more excited about doing than continuing to lead this district.”
P.S./I.S.99 Isaac Asimov School of Science and Literature. (Google Maps)
The News has reached out to the Department of Education, UFT and Lynch-Reyes for comment.
Lynch-Reyes, a veteran educator with deep ties in District 21 as a former principal and the prior superintendent’s second-in-command, has not publicly acknowledged the allegations, nor has she personally been accused of any wrongdoing.
The controversy surfaced in January when the UFT’s general counsel sent a cease-and-desist letter to the city’s DOE, detailing the claims.
According to the letter, Lynch-Reyes’ permanent appointment was allegedly delayed because of a labor dispute between teachers and their principal at District 21’s P.S./I.S. 99 Isaac Asimov School of Science and Literature, which happened under her watch.
Erin Lynch-Reyes. (X)
After the delay came to light, a social media user claiming to be a P.S./I.S. 99 employee named “Jose Tricoche” launched into an angry tirade against District 21 union rep Adam Shapiro, including false and disparaging claims about his personal life, according to the UFT and a post reviewed by the Daily News.
The user has not posted about Shapiro since the letter.
“The UFT has a good faith basis to believe that ‘Jose Tricoche’ is Ms. Lynch-Reyes’ spouse, Miguel Reyes,” UFT general counsel Beth Norton wrote on Jan. 13 to the DOE’s top lawyer Liz Vladeck.
“The UFT demands that the Department immediately cease and desist from engaging in fraudulent and defamatory online attacks of UFT representatives.”
The controversy divided the local community.
Close to 600 letters were sent to the chancellor, asking him not to appoint Lynch-Reyes. In interviews with The News, though, some teachers and parents said the experienced administrator should not be held responsible for allegations about her husband or doubted the validity of the claims.
In Monday’s video, Lynch-Reyes looked out at the people convened at her former school, Seth Low, saying: “This is this is my ‘why,’ and this is what keeps me going. So thank you all so much. I really appreciate it.”
“So who are you again?” Samuels prompted the new superintendent.
“So, I am Superintendent Erin Lynch-Reyes!” she responded.
The Presidents’ Council of District 21, the board of PTA presidents that posted the clip, said Lynch-Reyes’ permanent appointment was “such a well-deserved milestone” and wished her “continued success in the role.”
“Our entire community is celebrating with you,” the council wrote in a series of posts on X.
“We have seen your dedication, integrity and commitment to doing what’s right for our schools. You lead with both heart and purpose, always putting students and families at the center of every decision. That kind of leadership is exactly what our district needs.”