South Brooklyn’s latest school drama is playing out in District 21, where calls are mounting for Acting Superintendent Erin Lynch-Reyes to be removed after union leaders say a man tied to her family used a fake social media account to go after the district’s union representative. The clash has reignited months of tension at P.S./I.S. 99 in Midwood and sparked a letter-writing push aimed at blocking Lynch-Reyes from being named the district’s permanent superintendent.
According to New York Daily News, the United Federation of Teachers says Miguel Reyes allegedly ran a social media account under the name "Jose Tricoche" to attack Adam Shapiro, the district’s UFT representative. The union told the paper it collected 256 letters urging Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels not to appoint Lynch-Reyes to the job permanently, and that the online posts stopped after a Jan. 13 message went out to members. Union lawyers believe the account is linked to Lynch-Reyes’ spouse, the report says.
Teachers say principal mistreatment sparked pressure
Chalkbeat has traced the dispute back to a longer-running workplace battle at P.S./I.S. 99, where teachers have accused Principal Hrysoula Niarhos of humiliating and micromanaging staff and have filed six complaints with the city watchdog. Those complaints set off public solidarity actions across Brooklyn, and UFT President Michael Mulgrew told the outlet he was “infuriated” by reports of intolerable working conditions. The union’s campaign has featured testimony, photos and coordinated actions aimed at spotlighting classroom staffing issues and school leadership concerns.
Erin Lynch-Reyes is listed on the New York City Department of Education’s district leadership pages as District 21’s interim superintendent and as a veteran educator with more than two decades in city schools. The department shows Lynch-Reyes stepping into the role while officials weigh candidates for a permanent appointment.
Reaction in the community is split. Some local leaders told New York Daily News they remain comfortable with Lynch-Reyes’ leadership, while others, including Education Council President Jay Brown, declined to sign the petition circulating among parents and staff. That divide among local officials and families highlights how contentious the final call on a permanent superintendent could become.
Union rep and next steps
Adam Shapiro serves as the United Federation of Teachers’ District 21 representative, a role the union describes as central to handling staff grievances and contract issues. The current pressure campaign, built on letters and social media attention, is now aimed squarely at Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels and central Department of Education officials as they weigh whether to turn Lynch-Reyes’ interim post into a permanent one.
Samuels, who took over as chancellor at the start of 2026 and oversees top leadership appointments across the city’s school system, is the official targeted by the union’s letter drive, according to the union and reporting. Parents, teachers and union leaders say they plan to keep pushing for a clear review of staff complaints and the online-allegation trail before any final decision on Lynch-Reyes’ future in District 21.
