Principal Sacrifices His Job to Protect Homeless Teenager From Losing His Education
An Ohio principal lost his job after refusing to let a homeless teenager fall through the cracks of the education system, a decision that ultimately helped provide the young person with a safe home and continued access to school.
Rob Burnside, former principal of Lakota East High School near Cincinnati, became concerned after learning that Landerius Hayes, then a junior, was experiencing homelessness and could no longer remain enrolled at the school because his mother’s new address was outside the school district.
Hayes said he had been moving between unstable living arrangements and, at times, slept in a car with the heater running because his father’s mobile home was too cold.
Rather than simply process the teenager’s withdrawal, Burnside and his wife, Angel, offered Hayes a place in their home with his mother’s consent. The couple had previously adopted two children.
Burnside also allowed Hayes to continue attending the school, despite the district’s position that he was no longer eligible to enrol there. He was subsequently placed on leave and given the option of resigning or facing termination.
The case highlights the safeguarding challenges faced by children experiencing homelessness, particularly when housing instability threatens their access to education and safety.
After the Burnsides became Hayes’ legal guardians, he was able to return to school. He later graduated from another high school and is now pursuing a career as an aviation mechanic.
For Burnside, losing his principal position was a price worth paying.
“What value can we put on the life of a young person?” he said.
