Santiago removal petition dismissed

A petition to remove Rochester City School District board member Isaiah Santiago was recently dismissed by the New York State Department of Education.

“During this time our community deserves unity, stability, and student centered leadership. I look forward to continuing the important work ahead and being the leader the community trusts me to be,” Santiago said in a statement.

Fellow RCSD commissioner James Patterson originally submitted his petition to remove Santiago last year after the two clashed in a shouting match after a meeting. Patterson accused Santiago of using a racial slur during the confrontation, which formed the grounds of his removal request. 

Santiago, 20, has continually denied those allegations and instead claimed that Patterson had been intimidating him based on his age. 

After Patterson’s petition was submitted, the board voted to pay for Santiago’s legal fees in the case. Santiago also apologized to Patterson in December, where he implied Patterson misheard his words.

Patterson responded a month later urging Santiago to tell the truth and that: “The truth does not weaken us, it frees us.”

With the dismissal of the petition and Patterson leaving the board in 2026 (due to the Monroe County Board of Elections rejecting ballots for his reelection effort), it appears that  this fractious saga will be behind Santiago.

“I remain fully committed to serving the students and families of our district with integrity, transparency, and leadership centered on student success,” Santiago said. “While this process has at times been challenging, my focus has never wavered from the work that truly matters: serving the community that raised me, strengthening our schools, and ensuring every child has access to opportunity and quality education.”

Jacob Schermerhorn is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and data journalist.

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