HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — A lawsuit filed in federal court claims a Henry County school wrongfully disenrolled two homeless students, ignoring state requirements made to protect them.
A district judge ordered the children return to school Monday.
Claire Sherburne is representing the two students from the county – a 9-year-old and a 17-year-old – who had been enrolled in the district for three years.
“Henry County did not take the proper steps to make sure our clients were not homeless anymore and they basically dis-enrolled them without following the proper procedures,” Sherburn said.
The lawsuit claims the district "failed to properly identify and provide education services to the plaintiffs and implement a policy that complies with federal law."
Sherburne also said she's concerned her clients may not be the first affected by this.
“I do have broader concerns on the impact on the homeless population in the district,” she said.
According to statistics, there are nearly 40,000 students enrolled in public schools that are homeless. The Georgia Department of Education says more than 1,000 of them are in Henry County.
Sherburne is now asking the court to order Henry County re-write their homeless enrollment dispute policy to comply with federal and state law.
11Alive reached out to Henry County for a statement. They said they do not comment on ongoing litigation.
11Alive is working to find out if other students have been impacted by similar policies across the state.
