Carmel Superintendent to Resign; Claims Controversial Twitter Account Operated by Imposter
Carmel Central School District Superintendent of Schools Andy Irvin is resigning from his position as a controversy brews over whether a Twitter account belongs to him or was created by an imposter.
“I can confirm that I informed the BOE of my intention to resign from my position as superintendent effective August 30, 2020,” Irvin stated in an email to The Putnam Examiner. “My resignation will be on the June 23 BOE agenda for the BOE to accept.”
Irvin also sent a letter to the school community noting how social media posts were “made on an account that used my likeness to impersonate me.”
“There are many posts on the account that I would have no problem being associated with but there are also racially insensitive, sexually insensitive and some just plain disgusting posts that make me sick to my stomach,” he added. “The Twitter account is not my account and the posts are not mine. It is unfortunate that these posts are bring brought to light at a time after I have informed the BOE and community of my intention to resign my position. I hope that my actions have made it clear who I am and what I stand for. I have made many mistakes in my career and in my life but these are not among them.”
Irvin has not yet replied to a question from The Putnam Examiner asking why he decided to resign.
“I am sorry that someone felt and continues to feel the need to drive wedges within the CCSD community and I am sorry that those insensitive messages are being circulated at all,” he wrote in his letter about the Twitter account.
The apparent Twitter account in question — @No1NYSOXFAN maintained by someone identified as “Andy” — remains active and displays Irvin’s likeness. It features hundreds upon hundreds of tweets dating back to Sept. of 2011 through March of 2017. While many of the tweets are about rooting on Red Sox baseball, many are sexually explicit, embrace controversial political positions and use salty language.
Irving faced a significant backlash in Carmel this year when he didn’t reportedly back football coach Todd Cayea. The coach, revered by a wide swath of the community, was not reappointed to his position earlier this spring.
The resignation also comes as the district grapples with how to deal with art teacher Krista Berardi’s racially charged remarks on social media. The teacher was also a Brewster Board of Education trustee. She resigned her post on the Board of Education Friday night.
The Carmel Board of Education appointed Irvin superintendent in 2015, following his service as the district’s deputy superintendent. Irvin started with Carmel in 2008 as an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. He has also worked as a dean of students in Scarsdale, a principal in Haldane and an assistant principal in Byram Hills.
This story is breaking and will be updated with more details as they become available.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.