HOUSTON – Dionna Johnson discovered herself in authorized hassle after confronting her kid’s faculty concerning her daughter’s elimination from the campus in Northeast Houston.
Johnson suffers from systemic lupus, a situation that often results in her lacking work. As a single mom, this has made it troublesome for her to keep up a gentle earnings and steady housing. She and her daughter typically have to maneuver from inns to short-term leases within the metropolis.
Enrolling her daughter at Kashmere Gardens Elementary in October added one other layer of complexity to Johnson’s struggles. The 9-year-old had been staying with members of the family whereas Johnson found out employment and dwelling preparations. A couple of days after enrollment, she was knowledgeable by Principal Marques Collins that her daughter was now not allowed to attend the varsity because of extreme absences.
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“He stated, ‘Your daughter is now not enrolled in Kashmere Elementary; she’s missed too many days. Don’t convey her again right here,'” Johnson recounted. “This isn’t a babysitting service. And he did not let me get a phrase in edgewise.”
Livid concerning the state of affairs, Johnson made a number of calls to Houston ISD after which visited the varsity. She was arrested at Kashmere for making what was described as “terroristic threats.”
“I stated I used to be going to stage the entire metropolis block and watch all of it come down should you kick my 9-year-old daughter out of college,” stated Johnson. “I assume that they took that as a bomb risk, which is a euphemism. I used to be upset. Why would I convey a bomb on the campus that my daughter was on on the time?”
FOX 26 obtained a doc Johnson submitted to the varsity in October, indicating that her daughter met the standards for being a homeless pupil. Regardless of this, the kid was faraway from Kashmere shortly after. The withdrawal type bore Principal Marques Collins’ signature however lacked Johnson’s.
“The kid needed to study, Ms. Johnson needed the kid to study,” stated Drew Bivona, the household’s lawyer. “The simpler resolution for them was to simply eliminate the kid, eliminate the issue.”
The Houston Federation of Lecturers believes the matter was mishandled, significantly provided that the kid’s hardships align with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Help Act, a federal regulation making certain homeless youngsters entry to schooling and transportation to high school.
Jackie Anderson of the Houston Federation of Lecturers, commented, “If a baby’s attendance has triggered the principal to get entangled, then that individual ought to’ve been the one to select up the cellphone and name the mum or dad and say, ‘Look what is going on on?'”
When contacted, the district declined to remark, citing privateness issues. A spokesperson, nevertheless, acknowledged their disagreement with the recitation of the information.
Johnson’s daughter is reportedly doing nicely together with her aunt in South Carolina. The household’s lawyer signifies that authorized motion can be pursued quickly.
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