Rob Burnside had spent more than 20 years dedicated to education when he had to choose between his career and a student.
It was 2024, he was the principal of Lakota East High School in Liberty Township, Ohio, and one of his students had become homeless for reasons beyond his control. His mother’s new address was outside the school district, so the district ordered that he be immediately withdrawn.
Burnside refused. He allowed the young man to keep attending classes and, as a result, faced a formal investigation: he was accused of insubordination for not following his superiors’ orders.
The hearings examined whether the student was truly homeless and whether he remained active in the school system. In November of that year, while the district decided his future, Burnside made the decision before it was imposed on him: he resigned.
His resignation letter was accepted on November 22 at an emergency meeting of the Board of Education. He did not respond to the media outlets seeking statements, but support from former students and the community was quick to arrive.
Sometimes doing the right thing means losing your position, but never the certainty that you did what had to be done.
