Clayton County ends decades-long lease with youth homeless shelter after sexual misconduct cover-up

August 11th, 2023

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Commissioners in Clayton County are ending a nearly 25-year lease with Rainbow House, a youth homeless shelter in Jonesboro.

The facility on Battle Creek Road was a temporary haven for kids under 18. The closure comes in the wake of the shelter facing several sexual abuse allegations that date back to March of this year.

According to court documents, four employees were arrested and charged with sexual acts involving minors. The shelter’s former director, Mia Kimber, is among those charged.

The investigation also found the perpetrators failed to report the abuse, leading to them being found guilty of trying to cover up the misconduct within the facility.

Clayton County Commissioner Felicia Franklin spoke about the incident at a regular board meeting in May.

“It is very unfortunate that we understand that we’ve had to shut down the Rainbow House because several of the children who should’ve been there to be protected were actually assaulted,” Franklin said.

The board officially ended the lease earlier this month following its permanent closure. The shelter previously received federal funding for additional mental health resources.

The board reallocated the remaining funds to the county’s Parks and Rec Department, totaling over $27,000.