An AP literature teacher Melissa Calhoun in Brevard county was fired from Satellite high school for referring to a student by their chosen name. This is the first time with recent laws in place restricting what names you can call students has actually led to a teacher’s termination.
The situation led to the district reviewing her teaching certificate and not renewing her 10 month contract for next year which expires next month after she admitted to not following the state statute. This started due to a parent reporting that the teacher “had been referring to a student by a name other than their legal name,” according to a Brevard Public Schools spokesperson.
In 2023, the Florida house bill 1069 passed that restricted K-12 teachers from using students’ preferred names or pronouns in the classroom if it doesn’t correspond with their biological sex. “According to State Board Rule 6A-1.0955, (school) districts must adopt a policy for provisions for parents to specify the use of any deviation from their child’s legal name in school. School districts will develop a form to obtain parental consent along with any required documentation, as appropriate,” stated Department of Education spokesperson, Sydney Booker to CNN.
The Brevard district ultimately came to this decision because they believe its a violation of parental rights and consent. “This directly violates state law and the district’s standardized process for written parental consent. BPS supports parents’ rights to be the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives, and Florida law affirms their right to be informed,” said BPS spokesperson Janet Murnaghan in an email to K-12 Dive.
The people of Brevard county have come together in support of Calhoun. A petition was created on change.org demanding for her contract to be renewed that has over 26000 signatures. The Satellite beach police department shared on facebook that there was a 10 minute walkout in support of the teacher. “Educators simply want to do what they love and what they are highly trained to do: teach to the best of their ability, support the best outcomes for their students, and help students thrive. Every educator deserves the ability to do their job without fear of whatever political battle they will be thrown into,” said the Brevard County union’s president, Anthony Colucci.
