Ohio Principal Loses Job After Helping Homeless Student Stay in School

An Ohio principal made a life-changing decision to help a homeless student—and it ultimately cost him his job.

Rob Burnside, the former principal of Lakota East High School near Cincinnati, became concerned when he learned that one of his students, Landerius “DeDe” Hayes, was experiencing homelessness. Hayes was struggling to find a safe and stable place to live and sometimes slept in a car.

When the school district determined that Hayes no longer met its residency requirements and ordered him to withdraw, Burnside decided to help. He allowed Hayes to continue attending school and later, with the teenager’s mother’s blessing, Burnside and his wife, Angel, invited him to live with their family.

The decision led to an investigation, and Burnside was eventually placed on administrative leave and chose to resign rather than continue through the termination process. After 31 years in education, he was no longer working as a school principal.

But Burnside says he has no regrets.

He and his wife eventually became Hayes’ legal guardians and later adopted him. Hayes graduated from high school in May 2026, with Burnside and his wife there to celebrate the milestone.

Today, Hayes is working toward becoming an aviation mechanic.

Burnside may have lost his position, but his decision gave a young man something far more valuable—a safe home, a family and a chance to finish sch