Henry County School District turns out two homeless boys, lawsuit claims

Summer break could be getting a little bit longer for students in Atlanta.

A woman is suing the Henry County School District and its Local Education Agency, saying it dis-enrolled her two boys from school while they are homeless.

Jacopa Johnson’s suit, filed in federal court Sept. 7, alleges the school system violated her two boy’s rights to an education after the system dis-enrolled them through a series of mistakes, and it would not allow them to re-enroll.

The boys have been going to school in Henry County since 2014. The system dis-enrolled them Aug. 17, and the two have been out of classes since. The older boy was an A student, the suit says.

A spokesman for the Henry County schools said the issue is in court, and the schools cannot comment about it.

Johnson and her husband suffered a series of financial setbacks, including losing their home and having complicating medical problems. They lived with family and friends in different locations, including outside of Henry County, while Johnson searched for a new job, the suit says.

After they lost their home, the family sometimes slept at a grandparent’s home in Macon. The school did a cursory investigation into the family’s living situation and erroneously concluded the family had a home, the suit claims. The system did not give Johnson a chance to appeal or have a hearing about her living sitution, it says.

The suit claims various rights of the boys were violated and asks that the two be allowed to return to school, given transportation to school and for attorney’s fees and costs.