This principal lost his job after helping a homeless student: "No regrets"

@cbsmornings

4.0M followers · usually 11.3K views a post

Views

1.6M

Likes

291.2K

Comments

9.2K

24.9K

SoundTikTok sound · original sound - cbsmornings

Why it worked

The video tells a compelling human-interest story about an act of kindness with significant personal consequences, resonating emotionally with viewers and highlighting the principal's selflessness.

Summary

A principal lost his job after allowing a homeless student to stay enrolled in his school. The principal, Rob Burnside, and his wife, Angel, decided to take the student, Dede, in as their own, becoming his legal guardians. Despite the personal cost to his career, Burnside stated he has no regrets, emphasizing the value of the student's life.

Structure

1Principal Rob Burnside's decision to help a homeless student.
2The district's reaction and Burnside's job loss.
3Burnside and his wife Angel offer Dede a home.
4Dede's journey and graduation from a new high school.
5Burnside reflects on his actions and their impact.
6The positive outcome of the Burnside family adopting Dede.

On-screen text

This principal lost his job after helping a homeless student: "No regrets" After 31 years in education, one decision cost Rob Burnside the job he loved the most. I WAS TOLD THAT, THE DISTRICT DID NOT BELIEVE THAT I COULD GO BACK IN THE BUILDING TO BE AN EFFECTIVE LEADER AND I WAS GIVEN THE OPTION OF STEPPING DOWN OR GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BEING TERMINATED. his offense? HE LET A HOMELESS TEENAGER STAY IN SCHOOL DESPITE HIS UN-ENROLLMENT. TO UNDERSTAND WHY, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK YEARS EARLIER, TO A HALLWAY AND A PRINCIPAL, WHO WORE GOOFY PANTS ON FRIDAY JUST TO GET THE KIDS TO TALK TO HIM. IS WHEN I SEEN HIM IN THE HALLWAY AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT'S UP, MR. BURNSIDE? HE JUST DROPPED EVERYTHING, SMILED AT ME AND HE WAS LIKE, WHAT'S UP, DEDE? THAT WAS ROB, PRINCIPAL OF LAKOTA EAST HIGH SCHOOL IN OHIO. Landerius Hayes, ALSO KNOWN AS DEDE, WAS JUST ANOTHER KID WHO SAID HI IN THE HALLWAY. WHERE WERE YOUR PARENTS? SO, MY MOM, I COULDN'T LIVE WITH HER, 'CAUSE IT WASN'T REALLY SAFE TO LIVE WITH HER. MY DAD, HE HAD SOME- HE HAD SOME ISSUES GOING ON. 'CAUSE SOMETIMES, IT'D BE COLD IN THE MOBILE HOME, SO I'D JUST BE SLEEPING IN THE CAR WITH THE HEAT ON. during Dede's junior year in high school, that private struggle became public. A LETTER ARRIVED, SAYING THAT DEDE'S MOM HAD A NEW ADDRESS AND BECAUSE IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT, HE HAD TO WITHDRAW FROM THAT SCHOOL. NOW, MOST PRINCIPALS WOULD HAVE PROCESSED THE PAPERWORK AND MOVED ON - BUT ROB STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS INSTEAD. AND HE SAYS THE DISTRICT'S ANSWER WAS NO. HE CAN'T BE HERE. HE DOESN'T HAVE A PARENT WHO HAS AN ADDRESS. PARENT RESIDES ELSEWHERE, HE NEEDS TO GO WITH THE PARENTS. SO, ROB WENT HOME AND TOLD HIS WIFE, ANGEL. THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF HER MOUTH, WELL, HE CAN COME STAY WITH US, IF HE NEEDS TO. IT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME. ROB AND ANGEL HAD ALREADY ADOPTED TWO CHILDREN. AND WITH DEDE'S MOTHER'S BLESSING, THEY MADE THE OFFER. WE SAID, YOU KNOW, GOD, IF THIS IS YOUR WILL FOR THIS YOUNG MAN TO BE IN OUR HOME, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT CLEAR. AND, LIKE, FIVE MINUTES LATER, MY PHONE BUZZES AND I LOOK AT IT, AND IT'S A MESSAGE FROM HIM. HEY, MR. BURNSIDE. AND I GRAB IT AND I LOOK AT MY WIFE AND SAY, I THINK WE JUST GOT OUR ANSWER. AND HE'S BEEN IN OUR HOUSE SINCE THEN. DEDE HAD A HOME, BUT HE'D BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM THE SCHOOL. ROB LET HIM KEEP GOING ANYWAY - AND IT COST HIM HIS JOB. THEN, I WAS GIVEN A LETTER PUTTING ME ON LEAVE. I MADE THE DECISION THAT WAS BETTER FOR MY FAMILY. I WAS TELLING HIM, LIKE, I COULD JUST GO DOWN THERE TO MY MOM'S HOUSE, I DON'T WANT YOU TO LOSE YOUR JOB. LIKE, DON'T KIDS NEED YOU? AND THE WORDS THAT CAME OUT HIS MOUTH, NO, YOU'RE GOING TO STAY. YOU'RE GOING TO STAY WITH ME. I REMEMBER MY EXACT WORDS WERE, NO, DEDE, YOU'RE PART OF THIS FAMILY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TURN OUR BACK ON YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, AND WE HUGGED. THE BURNSIDES BECAME DEDE'S LEGAL GUARDIANS. FEELING SAFE NOW MEANT LOOKING BACK AT HOW UNSAFE HE ONCE WAS. HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT NOW, IT'S LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M HERE. I JUST DON'T KNOW. AT FIRST, I WAS IN A COLD CAR, BARELY EATING, BARELY GETTING TO SCHOOL, JUST TRYING TO BE A GOOD PERSON. AND NOW, IT'S JUST - WOW, WOW, HOW DID I DO IT? FOR ROB, THE PRICE IS STILL BEING PAID. NO ONE WILL HIRE HIM AS A PRINCIPAL IN THE AREA. IF YOU HAD TO DO IT AGAIN, WOULD YOU DO THE SAME THING? YES. AND NO REGRETS? NO. NO, BECAUSE WHAT VALUE CAN YOU PUT ON A LIFE OF A YOUNG PERSON? DEDE'S GOAL NOW IS TO BECOME AN AVIATION MECHANIC, AND HE'S WORKING TOWARD IT WHILE HE WAITS. THIS PAST MAY, DEDE WALKED ACROSS THE STAGE AND GRADUATED FROM A DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOL. AND IN THE STANDS WATCHING HIM DO IT WERE THE PEOPLE HE NOW CALLS POPS AND MA: ROB AND ANGEL - HIS GUARDIANS, BUT REALLY HIS GUARDIAN ANGELS. Rob and Angel Burnside have six adult children — AND NOW WITH DEDE, THERE ARE SEVEN. Dede says they all call each other brother and sister. HE IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE BURNSIDE FAMILY.

Original caption

Landerius “Dede” Hayes sometimes went without food and slept in his family’s car with the heat on, because the mobile home he lived in with his mom “wasn’t really safe.” When Dede’s mom moved, his principal, Rob Burnside, received a letter informing him to un-enroll the high schooler. But Rob had a different idea — and the decision he made to provide a warm home for the teenager cost him his job. Still, Rob told David Begnaud that he has no regrets making Dede a part of his family: “What value can we put on the life of a young person?” #ohio #family #heartwarming #uplift

More from @cbsmornings

More breakout videos from this creator.

Transcript

After 31 years in education, one decision cost Rob Burnside the job he loved the most. I WAS TOLD THAT, THE DISTRICT DID NOT BELIEVE THAT I COULD GO BACK IN THE BUILDING TO BE AN EFFECTIVE LEADER AND I WAS GIVEN THE OPTION OF STEPPING DOWN OR GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BEING TERMINATED. his offense? HE LET A HOMELESS TEENAGER STAY IN SCHOOL DESPITE HIS UN-ENROLLMENT. TO UNDERSTAND WHY, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK YEARS EARLIER, TO A HALLWAY AND A PRINCIPAL, WHO WORE GOOFY PANTS ON FRIDAY JUST TO GET THE KIDS TO TALK TO HIM. IS WHEN I SEEN HIM IN THE HALLWAY AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT'S UP, MR. BURNSIDE? HE JUST DROPPED EVERYTHING, SMILED AT ME AND HE WAS LIKE, WHAT'S UP, DEDE? THAT WAS ROB, PRINCIPAL OF LAKOTA EAST HIGH SCHOOL IN OHIO. Landerius Hayes, ALSO KNOWN AS DEDE, WAS JUST ANOTHER KID WHO SAID HI IN THE HALLWAY. WHERE WERE YOUR PARENTS? SO, MY MOM, I COULDN'T LIVE WITH HER, 'CAUSE IT WASN'T REALLY SAFE TO LIVE WITH HER. MY DAD, HE HAD SOME- HE HAD SOME ISSUES GOING ON. 'CAUSE SOMETIMES, IT'D BE COLD IN THE MOBILE HOME, SO I'D JUST BE SLEEPING IN THE CAR WITH THE HEAT ON. during Dede's junior year in high school, that private struggle became public. A LETTER ARRIVED, SAYING THAT DEDE'S MOM HAD A NEW ADDRESS AND BECAUSE IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT, HE HAD TO WITHDRAW FROM THAT SCHOOL. NOW, MOST PRINCIPALS WOULD HAVE PROCESSED THE PAPERWORK AND MOVED ON - BUT ROB STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS INSTEAD. AND HE SAYS THE DISTRICT'S ANSWER WAS NO. HE CAN'T BE HERE. HE DOESN'T HAVE A PARENT WHO HAS AN ADDRESS. PARENT RESIDES ELSEWHERE, HE NEEDS TO GO WITH THE PARENTS. SO, ROB WENT HOME AND TOLD HIS WIFE, ANGEL. THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF HER MOUTH, WELL, HE CAN COME STAY WITH US, IF HE NEEDS TO. IT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME. ROB AND ANGEL HAD ALREADY ADOPTED TWO CHILDREN. AND WITH DEDE'S MOTHER'S BLESSING, THEY MADE THE OFFER. WE SAID, YOU KNOW, GOD, IF THIS IS YOUR WILL FOR THIS YOUNG MAN TO BE IN OUR HOME, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT CLEAR. AND, LIKE, FIVE MINUTES LATER, MY PHONE BUZZES AND I LOOK AT IT, AND IT'S A MESSAGE FROM HIM. HEY, MR. BURNSIDE. AND I GRAB IT AND I LOOK AT MY WIFE AND SAY, I THINK WE JUST GOT OUR ANSWER. AND HE'S BEEN IN OUR HOUSE SINCE THEN. DEDE HAD A HOME, BUT HE'D BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM THE SCHOOL. ROB LET HIM KEEP GOING ANYWAY - AND IT COST HIM HIS JOB. THEN, I WAS GIVEN A LETTER PUTTING ME ON LEAVE. I MADE THE DECISION THAT WAS BETTER FOR MY FAMILY. I WAS TELLING HIM, LIKE, I COULD JUST GO DOWN THERE TO MY MOM'S HOUSE, I DON'T WANT YOU TO LOSE YOUR JOB. LIKE, DON'T KIDS NEED YOU? AND THE WORDS THAT CAME OUT HIS MOUTH, NO, YOU'RE GOING TO STAY. YOU'RE GOING TO STAY WITH ME. I REMEMBER MY EXACT WORDS WERE, NO, DEDE, YOU'RE PART OF THIS FAMILY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TURN OUR BACK ON YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, AND WE HUGGED. THE BURNSIDES BECAME DEDE'S LEGAL GUARDIANS. FEELING SAFE NOW MEANT LOOKING BACK AT HOW UNSAFE HE ONCE WAS. HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT NOW, IT'S LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M HERE. I JUST DON'T KNOW. AT FIRST, I WAS IN A COLD CAR, BARELY EATING, BARELY GETTING TO SCHOOL, JUST TRYING TO BE A GOOD PERSON. AND NOW, IT'S JUST - WOW, WOW, HOW DID I DO IT? FOR ROB, THE PRICE IS STILL BEING PAID. NO ONE WILL HIRE HIM AS A PRINCIPAL IN THE AREA. IF YOU HAD TO DO IT AGAIN, WOULD YOU DO THE SAME THING? YES. AND NO REGRETS? NO. NO, BECAUSE WHAT VALUE CAN YOU PUT ON A LIFE OF A YOUNG PERSON? DEDE'S GOAL NOW IS TO BECOME AN AVIATION MECHANIC, AND HE'S WORKING TOWARD IT WHILE HE WAITS. THIS PAST MAY, DEDE WALKED ACROSS THE STAGE AND GRADUATED FROM A DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOL. AND IN THE STANDS WATCHING HIM DO IT WERE THE PEOPLE HE NOW CALLS POPS AND MA: ROB AND ANGEL - HIS GUARDIANS, BUT REALLY HIS GUARDIAN ANGELS. Rob and Angel Burnside have six adult children — AND NOW WITH DEDE, THERE ARE SEVEN. Dede says they all call each other brother and sister. HE IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE BURNSIDE FAMILY.