HOUSTON – Dionna Johnson found herself in legal trouble after confronting her child’s school regarding her daughter’s removal from the campus in Northeast Houston.
Johnson suffers from systemic lupus, a condition that frequently leads to her missing work. As a single mother, this has made it difficult for her to maintain a steady income and stable housing. She and her daughter often have to move from hotels to short-term rentals in the city.
Enrolling her daughter at Kashmere Gardens Elementary in October added another layer of complexity to Johnson’s struggles. The 9-year-old had been staying with family members while Johnson figured out employment and living arrangements. A few days after enrollment, she was informed by Principal Marques Collins that her daughter was no longer allowed to attend the school due to excessive absences.
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“He said, ‘Your daughter is no longer enrolled in Kashmere Elementary; she’s missed too many days. Do not bring her back here,'” Johnson recounted. “This is not a babysitting service. And he didn’t let me get a word in edgewise.”
Furious about the situation, Johnson made several calls to Houston ISD and then visited the school. She was arrested at Kashmere for making what was described as “terroristic threats.”
“I said I was going to level the whole city block and watch it all come down if you kick my 9-year-old daughter out of school,” said Johnson. “I guess that they took that as a bomb threat, which is a euphemism. I was upset. Why would I bring a bomb on the campus that my daughter was on at the time?”
FOX 26 obtained a document Johnson submitted to the school in October, indicating that her daughter met the criteria for being a homeless student. Despite this, the child was removed from Kashmere shortly after. The withdrawal form bore Principal Marques Collins’ signature but lacked Johnson’s.
“The child wanted to learn, Ms. Johnson wanted the child to learn,” said Drew Bivona, the family’s attorney. “The easier solution for them was to just get rid of the child, get rid of the problem.”
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The Houston Federation of Teachers believes the matter was mishandled, particularly given that the child’s hardships align with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, a federal law ensuring homeless children access to education and transportation to school.
Jackie Anderson of the Houston Federation of Teachers, commented, “If a child’s attendance has triggered the principal to get involved, then that person should’ve been the one to pick up the phone and call the parent and say, ‘Look what’s going on?'”
When contacted, the district declined to comment, citing privacy concerns. A spokesperson, however, stated their disagreement with the recitation of the facts.
Johnson’s daughter is reportedly doing well with her aunt in South Carolina. The family’s attorney indicates that legal action will be pursued soon.