“They Were Trained To Blend Into The Shadows” — But New Records Suggest The System Had Seen Them Before

Newly uncovered school and court records are adding another disturbing layer to the case of the 16 Siders siblings rescued from a home in Hamden, Ohio.

Investigators initially described a family that had managed to remain largely invisible for years. The children — ranging in age from about 18 months to 18 years — were found on June 30 living in what authorities described as deplorable conditions. Several children required hospitalization, while officials said some had serious developmental and communication difficulties. Four adults in the family were arrested and charged with 16 counts each of felony child endangerment. All four have pleaded not guilty.

But records now reveal something especially troubling: at least six of the children had already come to the attention of the school system years before the rescue.

According to court records obtained by WSAZ, six Siders children were enrolled at Addaville Elementary School in Gallia County but allegedly did not attend a single day during the 2021–2022 school year. School officials filed separate truancy complaints against their parents, identifying the children as habitual truants after extensive unexcused absences.

The previous school year provides another important clue. Those six children had been enrolled in an online education program, the Southern Ohio Digital Academy. What remains unclear is how consistently they participated in that program or whether their education was actually taking place as recorded.