The Purge: When Standing Up Gets You Removed
By Katie Anskat
🔊🔊🔊Ashley Rzonca speaks on her removal as UFT District Rep for D30 🔊🔊🔊
What’s Going On?
In late June, six UFT staffers were removed from their union positions in what many believe was a targeted and political purge led by certain UFT leadership. I am choosing not to name them here for their privacy, but will touch on two of the six below. These six individuals are educators who built trust across the city. They showed up for members, spoke hard truths, and earned the respect of teachers, paras, and families alike. They were of differing UFT caucuses and slates but that is not relevant at all. When one falls, we all fall.
Their roles were different. Some were district representatives. Some were pension specialists. Some worked after hours supporting members when they needed assistance after the school day. Some were the strongest union voices dedicated to representing paraprofessionals in a system that often overlooks them. Some wore multiple hats through the years. They all shared one thing. They did the work. They answered the phone. They showed up. They advocated.
Now they are gone. Their removal sends a clear message. If you challenge power, ask questions, or support your colleagues too visibly, you are no longer safe.
On July 14, the District 30 Community Education Council heard from the people who know Ashley Rzonca and Leah Lin best. They are two of the six UFT staffers who were removed and both are beloved in the D30 community. More than 15 educators, parents, and CEC members spoke out that night in support of these two women. Their message was clear. This is not just an internal staffing matter. It is a loss for the entire school community. The sadness and emotions from those in person and online were very clear and spoke volumes for Ashley and Leah.
Public Comment from Katie Anskat
District 30 CEC Meeting
July 17, 2025
Good evening. My name is Katie Anskat and I am a longtime educator and union member. Thank you to this Council. You are the reason real change ever happens in this system. If something needs fixing, it is parent voices that make the difference, always.
That is why I need to bring something serious to your attention. Two educators who have gone above and beyond for this district, Leah Lin and Ashley Rzonca, were recently removed from their UFT positions under circumstances many of us feel were political and unjust.
Ashley was not just a district rep. She was a lifeline. When something went wrong in your building, she showed up. When a principal pushed too far, she pushed back. She protected good teachers from burnout, advocated for paras, helped families navigate the DOE maze, and made sure schools in District 30 were not overlooked. In this climate, where schools are under pressure, budgets are tight, and trust is fragile, removing someone like Ashley is not just wrong. It is dangerous.
Leah Lin, while still chapter leader at 85Q, was removed from her UFT role as a PM staffer. That means the support she gave to hundreds of members after hours is gone. These were the late night calls, the problem solving, the personal guidance she gave to educators when no one else was picking up the phone. Losing that kind of care and commitment does not just hurt staff. It impacts entire school communities.
Parents deserve to know. Without people like Ashley and Leah in these roles, who is going to fight for your school when no one else will?
We are asking for your help. Leah and Ashley should be reinstated, not just for our sake, but for yours. Because the kind of people who stand up for staff are usually the same ones who stand up for students and for parents too.
Thank you for always using your voice to make our schools stronger. We need it now more than ever.
Video of NYCPS Community Members Who United for Ashley Rzonca and Leah Lin
Why This Matters for All of Us
This purge is not about staffing. It is about silencing. These six educators were not chosen at random. They were removed because they supported their colleagues, because they answered the phone, because they did the work. Some were outspoken. Others were quiet leaders. Some were those people in our union structure focused entirely on the rights and working conditions of paraprofessionals. But every one of them was trusted.
This is not about factions. It is not about sides. It is about whether any of us can feel safe standing up for one another. If these six can be removed, what does that say to every member who just wants to do their job and be treated with dignity?
We must show up. We must speak out. That means attending your local CEC meetings. That means showing up at the Citywide Council on High Schools. That means speaking at the Panel for Educational Policy.
Because the UFT leadership is no longer listening to its members. But our communities are. And parents are among our strongest allies.
Parent advocacy in CEC 30 and across this city has been invaluable. The CEC 30 board is incredibly strong. They are a powerhouse. The meeting was filled with educators, school staff, families, and administrators. I have attended enough CEC meetings across the city to know that is not easy. Families have stepped up when educators were pushed down. They have shown up when others stayed quiet. When we say stakeholders, we must mean all voices. Educators, paraprofessionals, support staff, parents, and students, every voice matters. Every voice belongs.
This is a critical moment for our union and our schools. We can either let fear take hold or we can remind them that we are still here, and we are paying attention.
Let them hear us. Let them see us. And let us stand together. These six people meant something to the membership, the school communities, and to education.
They need to be reinstated.
Please join us Tuesday July 22 at 6M to speak out for our silenced colleagues.
They need to be reinstated.
All six should be reinstated ASAP! I agree Katie it takes a village and that village needs to speak out on behalf of the six who are so needed in the positions they served.