Ohio Principal Lost His Job Sheltering a Homeless Teen — Now He's His Adopted Son

Rob Burnside spent 27 years building a career at Lakota East High School near Cincinnati, Ohio — first as a founding teacher and coach when the school opened in 1997, later as its principal. That career ended after he refused to stop letting a homeless student keep coming to class. Nearly two years later, that student, Landerius Hayes, calls him dad.

Hayes's mother moved out of the Lakota school district during his junior year, and the district barred him from attending classes there as a result, according to The Independent. Hayes has said living with his parents was unsafe that year, and at one point he slept in his family's car with the heat running because his father's mobile home was too cold. Burnside was told Hayes had to attend school wherever his parent resided, but he allowed Hayes to keep taking classes as though he were still enrolled.

Burnside told The Independent he cared about Hayes and wanted to help him, and he discussed with his wife, Angel, letting the teenager live with them so he could finish school. When Hayes offered to leave and return to his mother's household to try to save Burnside's job, Burnside refused, saying he preferred Hayes stay with him and Angel instead.

A Pre-Disciplinary Letter and a Fast-Moving Timeline

Public records obtained by CBS News show the district's response was more procedural than a single blowup over a kindness. Lakota Local Schools issued Burnside a formal pre-disciplinary letter charging him with insubordination, failure to follow supervisor directives, willfully violating board attendance policy, and creating potential legal liability by allowing an unenrolled student on campus. The district ultimately offered him the choice of resigning or going through termination, and he was told officials did not believe he could return and be an effective leader.

Internal district records reported by Lakota East's student newspaper, The Spark, lay out how quickly the process moved. Data compliance officials ordered Hayes withdrawn on October 16, 2024, and Burnside was placed on administrative leave just over two weeks later, on November 1, 2024. He attended a pre-disciplinary meeting with Superintendent Dr. Ashley Whitely and HR director Rob Kramer on November 8, 2024.

Burnside has said he asked God for a sign about whether to keep helping Hayes, and received a text message from him about five minutes later. He has said plainly that he has no regrets about losing his job over the decision.

Federal Law Meant to Protect Students Like Hayes

The case sits atop a federal law designed for exactly this kind of situation. Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, public school students experiencing housing instability have the legal right to immediate enrollment, free meals, and continuous attendance at their school of origin — with district-provided transportation — even if they move outside district boundaries, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Ohio regulations require every public district to designate a Homeless Education Liaison specifically to identify unhoused students and help clear these kinds of enrollment and transportation obstacles.

It remains unresolved whether Lakota Local Schools evaluated Hayes under McKinney-Vento protections before ordering his withdrawal, or whether Burnside bypassed the district's homeless liaison channels by letting Hayes attend informally — the public record does not settle which. The tension is not unique to one campus: state data shows 25,550 K-12 students were identified as experiencing homelessness across Ohio during the 2023-2024 school year, up from 24,046 the year before, per the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

From Guardianship to Graduation

After Burnside resigned, he and Angel began legal guardianship proceedings with the consent of Hayes's biological mother, and the couple received permanent legal custody of him in February 2025. Hayes moved into the Burnside family home and transferred to Kings High School in Kings Mills, Ohio, where he finished his senior year and graduated in May 2026 — not at Lakota East, where the saga began.

Lakota East, meanwhile, moved on with new leadership. The district named assistant principal Matt MacFarlane as interim principal before formally installing him as permanent principal for the 2025-2026 school year, according to the same Spark report.

Where They Stand Now

As of this month, Burnside has still been unable to secure a local administrative or teaching position in the region's school districts, per CBS News. Hayes, meanwhile, is working as an automotive technician with plans to pursue aircraft mechanics. The Independent said it had requested comment from the school.