By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

FAIRFIELD - A 15-year-old, wheelchair-using student won't be allowed back into Fairfield Senior High School until her family moves into the district.

Butler County Common Pleas Judge Charles Pater on Monday dissolved a temporary restraining order issued Friday that would have allowed Sarah Godsey to continue classes at Fairfield Senior High School.

"We're pretty much devastated," said Becky Godsey, Sarah's mother. "The judge and (Superintendent Robert) Farrell didn't have to go home, look Sarah in the face and tell her."

Last week, attorney John O'Shea filed a lawsuit against the district alleging school officials did not follow proper procedures in excluding Sarah. Monday, he said he was disappointed in Judge Pater's decision but was working with the family to find a home within the district.

"We would welcome Sarah back into the school district as soon as they relocate into Fairfield city or township," Farrell said after Monday's hearing.

Since school began last August, Farrell said he has turned down the request of 69 other families who wanted to attend Fairfield Schools but didn't live within the district. Some of those came from families of special-needs students.

The Godsey family's problems began when they moved out of the district into the Tylers Creek subdivision, which straddles the Fairfield/Hamilton school boundary. Unknown to them, their three-bedroom handicap accessible unit was in the Hamilton side of the complex.

To give the family time to move into the district, school officials allowed Sarah to remain in Fairfield Schools through the end of the semester and had her mother sign an agreement to that effect.

The family has been unable to find a new handicap-accessible home. Since the semester ended Jan. 23 Sarah has attended classes only one day. She has not yet registered in Hamilton, O'Shea said.

"We're not giving up. Sarah still wants to go back," Godsey said.

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