A Florida teacher’s contract will not be renewed after she was accused of using a student’s preferred name in violation of the state’s law.
Brevard Public Schools (BPS) said the teacher who worked at Satellite High School had allegedly been calling the young person by their preferred name but did not have parental permission to do so, WESH reported on Thursday, noting the parent contacted school leadership over the issue.
“This directly violates state law and the district’s standardized process for written parental consent,” the district stated.
District leaders said they investigated the issue and “Based on the teacher’s own admission that she knowingly did not comply with state statute she received a letter of reprimand. Teachers, like all employees, are expected to follow the law.”
The teacher’s current contract reportedly expires in May, and BPS said state officials will review her teaching certificate. Therefore, “the district decided not to renew the annual contract until the issue is resolved with the state.”
On Wednesday, Florida Today identified the teacher as Melissa Calhoun.
Congressman Randy Fine sponsored the Parental Rights in Education Bill while serving in the state House, and he told WESH the law said if a student wanted to be referred to by a name other than their legal name, they needed their parents to sign a form.
He added that he did not have details of the recent incident, “But if a teacher was referring to a student by a name different than what the parents desire and it rose to the level that the parent complained about it, then that teacher is breaking the law. And we do not want lawbreakers teaching our children.”
In March 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law the Parental Rights in Education Act to expand parental oversight when it comes to their children’s education, per Breitbart News.
The law also bans the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation to children in kindergarten through third grade.
“The bill, which does not say the word ‘gay,’ was misrepresented by establishment media, Hollywood, and other leftists as the ‘don’t say gay’ bill,” the report said.
The following year, the Florida House passed a measure defining “sex” as an “immutable biological trait,” according to Breitbart News.
