City school board member Isaiah Santiago is facing possible removal from elected office for allegedly using a racial slur during an argument with fellow board member James Patterson.
Under New York State law, a commissioner of a school board can be removed by the state education commissioner, if that person is found to have engaged in willful misconduct.
Patterson, who is Black, said he filed a complaint Friday with the state education department alleging Santiago called him the N-word.
“I will admit that, yes, I was called a n——- more than once, for the record,” Patterson said.
Patterson declined to comment further on the matter without consulting with his legal counsel.
Santiago has denied any wrongdoing, and issued a statement in response to media questions that called the accusations offensive due to his heritage as Afro-Latino. He accused Patterson of being the one who harassed him, alleging that Patterson refers to him as a “boy” and threatened him during an incident on Feb. 2. He did not elaborate.
Santiago was 19 when he became the youngest person ever elected to the city school board in 2023.
“I have continuously faced discrimination from Commissioner Patterson, particularly in the form of ageism,” Santiago said. “He has repeatedly referred to me as a ‘boy,’ undermining and calling me what is deemed as a slur.”
Santiago said he also feared for his personal safety due to his interactions with Patterson but did not elaborate.
A request for comment from the New York State Education Department was not immediately returned.
On Tuesday, the RCSD Board of Education met in a closed session to discuss various issues in the district. Among them was providing legal representation for Santiago, Patterson confirmed.
