Ohio school principal resigns after allowing homeless student to attend classes and eat in cafeteria

[IceIce9]

Ohio principal resigns after investigation into his helping former homeless student

Robert Burnside, a beloved high school principal in the Cincinnati suburbs, has resigned. Some of his former students are outraged.

www.cincinnati.com

Robert Burnside, a beloved high school principal in the Cincinnati suburbs, resigned Friday after he came under fire from his school district for helping a student who was experiencing homelessness.

His resignation comes three weeks after he was put on leave pending an investigation. Records show the district investigated Burnside for allegedly allowing a former student who was experiencing homelessness to attend classes and eat at the school cafeteria.

 

[callmehenry]

How sad that he has had to leave his job over this. Why on earth is it wrong to show kindness??

 

[Hag]

Ohio principal resigns after investigation into his helping former homeless student

Robert Burnside, a beloved high school principal in the Cincinnati suburbs, has resigned. Some of his former students are outraged.

www.cincinnati.com

Robert Burnside, a beloved high school principal in the Cincinnati suburbs, resigned Friday after he came under fire from his school district for helping a student who was experiencing homelessness.

His resignation comes three weeks after he was put on leave pending an investigation. Records show the district investigated Burnside for allegedly allowing a former student who was experiencing homelessness to attend classes and eat at the school cafeteria.

On the surface this appears to be a kind hearted decision to help a former student. Looking forward to further information regarding this situation.

 

[IceIce9]

How sad that he has had to leave his job over this. Why on earth is it wrong to show kindness??

My feelings exactly!

 

[IceIce9]

From another article:

School officials had placed Burnside on leave earlier in November after a concern was brought to their attention. Records obtained by Local 12 indicate that Burnside was questioned by school officials regarding his involvement in assisting a former student experiencing homelessness.

Greater Cincinnati principal resigns amid investigation over helping homeless student

local12.com

 

[PrairieWind]

I have a lot of questions about this. Why had the student been un-enrolled? What was the student's situation? Was the student supposed to be in a different school?
I know it sounds harsh, but if the child is not a student, he/she can't be in classes. So I am sure there is a lot more to this story.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

IMO it sounds like he let a young person in need, who was a known former student, stay safe and warm, learn something, and have something to eat. But he was put on leave because it's not allowed to do that at a school. Sad world we live in, when he was doing something good, albeit unusual, and it needed a whole formal investigation and removing him from his job.

Not enough help and kindness is reaching the world's homeless. I think this principal was a bright light and the school will be worse off with him gone.

 

[PrairieWind]

I don't have any doubt that this principal was trying to do something good. But you can't have a non-student in classes. So that leads me to wonder what else was going on here. There are programs for homeless students, that keep them enrolled and provide services for them. So I suspect something else was going on.

 

[IceIce9]

I have a lot of questions about this. Why had the student been un-enrolled? What was the student's situation? Was the student supposed to be in a different school?
I know it sounds harsh, but if the child is not a student, he/she can't be in classes. So I am sure there is a lot more to this story.

All I have seen/heard is that he was a former student, and became homeless so that he was no longer allowed to attend classes.

Sounds like the principal had very good intentions but maybe should have gone about it a different way.

 

[tlcya]

While I am really saddened to see this administrator has resigned over this situation, I also get the school's stance. I believe the principal was attempting to do what we all should, help a student in serious need. But this was a former student. The reasons for that are not made clear.

In this day and age of school shootings, heightened violence in schools in general, there is a huge liability involved in having unauthorized persons in the building. One: the liability if the student was harmed while in the building, either through accident or by another student. Two: the liability nightmare if this non enrolled student had done harm to an enrolled student or staffer. JMO

I know this will not be a popular opinion and while my heart feels one way, logic dictates this was not a good situation and opened the school and district up to a liability issue as a result of a decision they were not consulted on or advised of. I wish the principal had found another route using other resources to help his former student.

 

[dulcinea]

I agree that something must be missing from this story. Unhoused students have so many protections and rights via McKinney-Vento. (I am a teacher and have worked very closely with our school and district liaison for McKinney-Vento students.)

 

[nao]

Moo... If you don't have an address how is it decided what school you can attend? Personally I would think it a good thing for student to want to be in school instead of just wandering the streets. I very much hope the reasons are made public....moo

 

[Tower]

Moo... If you don't have an address how is it decided what school you can attend? Personally I would think it a good thing for student to want to be in school instead of just wandering the streets. I very much hope the reasons are made public....moo

In my local district, they try to keep the child in the same school where they last were enrolled. It helps keep them on track to graduate and receive resources like counseling, food and stable housing. Keeping classes, friends and school stable even when housing is unstable is the goal, which of course does not mean the goal is always met. Source: I work for DOE. Moo

 

[LauraAnne]

This has a little bit more info, and seems to hint at an inappropriate (although not necessarily sexual) relationship between the Principal and the student. Also, they still aren't saying why the student was unenrolled - it is not because of homelessness.

Ohio principal resigns after investigation into his helping former homeless student

Robert Burnside, a beloved high school principal in the Cincinnati suburbs, has resigned. Some of his former students are outraged.

www.cincinnati.com

 

[Tower]

This has a little bit more info, and seems to hint at an inappropriate (although not necessarily sexual) relationship between the Principal and the student. Also, they still aren't saying why the student was unenrolled - it is not because of homelessness.

Ohio principal resigns after investigation into his helping former homeless student

Robert Burnside, a beloved high school principal in the Cincinnati suburbs, has resigned. Some of his former students are outraged.

www.cincinnati.com

Yes, as @dulcinea stated, being homeless would certainly not lead to being unenrolled and in fact gives the student legal protection. There are all kinds of reasons why a child is unenrolled and the principal likely got in trouble for letting this student hang out on campus without being permitted. Moo

 

[IceIce9]

Under this law, schools cannot unenroll students for experiencing homelessness. The law requires schools to have a local homeless education liaison on staff to serve as a contact person for students experiencing homelessness, and to automatically enroll students experiencing homelessness even if they don't have the records – such as a permanent address – typically needed for enrollment.

Districts have to keep these kids in their home school unless the student's parent, or the student themselves, objects. Districts also need to provide transportation for students experiencing homelessness, even if those students are staying somewhere outside of the district's boundaries

The Enquirer has requested information from Lakota Local Schools regarding this law, the district's procedure for following it and if the district has a liaison for students experiencing homelessness. The school district has yet to respond as of Friday afternoon.

Ohio principal resigns after investigation into his helping former homeless student

Robert Burnside, a beloved high school principal in the Cincinnati suburbs, has resigned. Some of his former students are outraged.

www.cincinnati.com

Eagerly awaiting the school district’s response……

 

[PrairieWind]

Under this law, schools cannot unenroll students for experiencing homelessness. The law requires schools to have a local homeless education liaison on staff to serve as a contact person for students experiencing homelessness, and to automatically enroll students experiencing homelessness even if they don't have the records – such as a permanent address – typically needed for enrollment.

Districts have to keep these kids in their home school unless the student's parent, or the student themselves, objects. Districts also need to provide transportation for students experiencing homelessness, even if those students are staying somewhere outside of the district's boundaries

The Enquirer has requested information from Lakota Local Schools regarding this law, the district's procedure for following it and if the district has a liaison for students experiencing homelessness. The school district has yet to respond as of Friday afternoon.

Ohio principal resigns after investigation into his helping former homeless student

Robert Burnside, a beloved high school principal in the Cincinnati suburbs, has resigned. Some of his former students are outraged.

www.cincinnati.com

Eagerly awaiting the school district’s response……

I'm guessing we may not get a response. They can't discuss a student issue and they can't discuss a personnel issue. So they will just say nothing.

 

[PayrollNerd]

At the beginning of this thread my first thought was “Are they unaware of the movie Homeless to Harvard?“ But I do understand helping a student via the protocols. It’s a safeguard for everyone. I wonder if the principal attempted to go thru the proper channels and hit road blocks, thus frustrating him. What a shame he had to resign.

 

[PrairieWind]

The fact that he did resign (retire it sounds like) tells me that he had done something wrong. Maybe right morally, but not in compliance with school directives.

 

[airportwoman]

This has a little bit more info, and seems to hint at an inappropriate (although not necessarily sexual) relationship between the Principal and the student. Also, they still aren't saying why the student was unenrolled - it is not because of homelessness.

Ohio principal resigns after investigation into his helping former homeless student

Robert Burnside, a beloved high school principal in the Cincinnati suburbs, has resigned. Some of his former students are outraged.

www.cincinnati.com

I was thinking along these lines as well. I agree; there's a lot more going on than is being reported.