High school principal under investigation after helping former homeless student

A suburban Cincinnati high school principal is being investigated for insubordination after he let a former student who was experiencing homelessness attend school after the student was unenrolled, records show.

Robert Burnside is principal at Lakota East High School in Liberty Township, about 25 miles north of Cincinnati. During a pre-disciplinary meeting, district administrators asked Burnside about his relationship with a student experiencing homelessness, who was withdrawn from the district this school year. The questions, obtained by The Enquirer through an Ohio Public Records Act request, raise concerns about how the student was able to receive lunches at the school and what might happen if the student was ever hurt on school grounds.

"Did you consider the liability of this since he was unenrolled?" one of the questions reads.

Burnside declined to comment on the matter at this time.

Burnside was placed on paid administrative leave Nov. 1, "pending the conclusion of an investigation." The following week, Superintendent Ashley Whitely alerted district families about Burnside's absence and said the district has "been investigating a concern that was brought to our attention." The district "had anticipated having a resolution sooner," Whitely wrote.

The district did not comment further on the situation but said other Lakota East administrators have been overseeing daily operations in Burnside's absence.

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Burnside has led Lakota East High School since 2021. He previously served as principal at New Richmond High School and, before that, worked at Lakota as an English teacher and as an administrator at the Lakota East Freshman School. He also spent time as an assistant principal at Kings High School, according to his resume.

Records: Lakota East principal charged with insubordination, violating student attendance policy Burnside is accused of insubordination, willfully violating the school board's policy for student attendance and putting himself and the district "in a potentially liable position," according to a letter from Rob Kramer, executive director of human resources for the district. Those charges were listed in a pre-disciplinary hearing notice the district sent to Burnside on Nov. 5.

The district also provided a list of questions that were asked during the pre-disciplinary hearing Nov. 7, which continuously point to Burnside's relationship with a previous student who experienced homelessness. Burnside was questioned on how he came to know this student, his relationship to the student's parents and how the student received services at the school without being enrolled.

Specific questions include:

"Would you, or have you, ever allowed a student not enrolled in Lakota schools to attend and be in a building for multiple days?"

"Where was he laying his head at night?"

"How was he getting to East each day?"

"How would teacher have accounted for him being in their class? Take attendance if he was withdrawn?"

"What would have occurred if he had gotten in trouble? How would he have been disciplined if he was not a student in our school?"

"Did he ever get hurt? If so, how? Did you consider the liability of this since he was unenrolled?"

"Did you make arrangements with the cafeteria so that [the student] was able to get a lunch? Did you use your own money for this?"

"Beyond his teachers and the cafeteria, did you ask anyone else to support this plan for [the student]?"

Burnside is to remain on paid administrative leave indefinitely, until the investigation is over. During this time he will receive full pay and benefits, but cannot be on school property, attend school district events or communicate with students or staff.

Burnside and his wife have six children, according to his biography on the district's website.

This story was updated to add a video.