Ohio principal lost his 31-year career for keeping a homeless student in school. 2 years later, his 'son' graduated with 'Pops' in the audience
Before Principal Rob Burnside took him in, Landarius Hayes was often forced to endure freezing nights inside an unheated mobile home or a car
On freezing winter nights in Ohio, Landarius Hayes huddled in a parked car with the heater running to stay warm after his biological parents couldn't care for him. Things worsened when he was told to leave Lakota East High School. Instead of following protocol, Principal Rob Brunside asked questions and refused to process his withdrawal. Rob and his wife, Angel Brunside, ultimately took Hayes into their home, a decision that cost him his 31-year career in education. But years later, it paid off as he watched his "son" graduate, as reported by CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) on August 24, 2026, garnering over 290,000 views.
A brief meet in the hallway
The connection between Rob and Hayes began with a simple hallway greeting at Lakota East High School, where the principal often wore goofy trousers on Fridays to put teenagers at ease. It was during this time that Hayes, also lovingly known as Dee, struck up a rapport with him. However, beyond this friendly relationship, Dee carried a heavy personal burden out of sight. The teenager was unable to live safely with his mother and was often forced to endure freezing nights inside an unheated mobile home or a car. "At first I was in a cold car barely eating, barely getting to school just trying to be a good person," he recalled.
The crisis worsened
During Dee's junior year, things got from bad to worse after the district flagged that his mother had registered a new residential address beyond school boundaries. So, the administrators demanded his immediate removal from the rolls. They stated, "He can't be here; he doesn't have a parent who has an address... he needs to go where the parent is." Although most principals would've followed through with the order without bothering, Rob didn't. Instead, he began challenging the directive and brought the dilemma home to discuss with his wife.
The Burnsides open their doors
Upon hearing about Dee's terrible condition, Angel instantly pitched the idea of bringing him home. So, the couple, who already have two adopted kids, got to work, and after securing Dee's mother's blessing, they took him in. But even though Dee had finally found shelter with the Burnsides, the district still treated him as technically withdrawn.
The career ultimatum
Rob, being the principal, decided to keep the teenager in class, defying his leadership's orders. Obviously, this invited trouble for him as the management issued a leave notice that said that they didn't believe Rob "could go back into the building to be an effective leader." Seeing Rob get into so much trouble, Dee offered to pack his bags and leave if it meant he could keep his job. "Could just go down there to my mom's house. I don't want you to lose your job, as them kids need you," he said about his six other children.
He is family
Rob firmly rejected the offer, stating that Dee was also part of the family and that they weren't going to turn their back on him. Unfortunately, that meant Rob had to resign from his job and kiss goodbye to a career he had had for over three decades. In fact, even to this day, Rob is facing trouble in a regional job market where local districts refuse to hire him. But he had no regrets about his decision. In fact, his decision paid off recently when he and his wife witnessed Dee graduate, and he hopes to build a career as an aviation mechanic.
Homelessness is a huge problem
Dee's situation highlights a much broader problem the United States is going through right now. According to the National Center for Homeless Education, more than 1.5 million students enrolled in public schools are facing homelessness. Moreover, the number of unaccompanied homeless youth has increased by 15.5% from 11,664 to 127,848. Of these unaccompanied children, 47.7% faced chronic absenteeism similar to what Hayes was facing while attending school after spending a night in a car.
The school board should be ashamed
People, in the meantime, were furious upon learning about Burnside and Hayes' story. @Ohiopotter wrote, "The school board should be ashamed of themselves!!! A child wanting to learn, and you turn your back!! Bravo to Rob!!!" Meanwhile, @Miranda50709 spoke on similar lines, suggesting, "Mr. Burnside is exactly the kind of person who should be in charge of students. Shame on that district for getting rid of him."
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