VIERA, Fla. – Supporters of a Brevard County teacher losing her job next year because she used a student’s preferred name without parental permission took their protests to the school board on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the district superintendent defended the decision in an exclusive interview with News 6’s Lisa Bell.
[Watch Lisa Bell’s one-on-one interview with Superintendent Mark Rendell below.]
The school district is not renewing the contract of Satellite High School teacher Melissa Calhoun. School Superintendent Mark Rendell said Calhoun admitted to calling a student by a name other than a legal name.
Because of a 2023 law, teachers and staff are required to get parental consent before they can call a student a “preferred name” or a “nickname.”
“Really, it’s all about developing that relationship with the parent,” Rendell said. “The parent is our partner in this education endeavor that we have with our children. This law was actually put in place to make sure that partnership was maintained. The classroom teachers look to the parent when they’re making decisions like that, and in this case, the teacher did not.”
Current and former students, along with parents, have been protesting the decision for days and calling for Calhoun’s reinstatement. A rally was held before the Brevard County school board meeting Tuesday evening.
“I don’t know what to call it, injustice?” said parent Paul Roub. “It’s hard to speak about this without clichés. It’s ridiculous. We have a wonderful teacher who was helping her student feel comfortable and appreciated so they can learn.”
Rendell told News 6 the district has referred the case to the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Professional Practices, which will make a determination about Calhoun’s teaching certificate.
Rendell pointed out that Calhoun was still teaching at the school. He said she had been given a letter of reprimand, and then a notice that they were not going to renew her contract. Rendell also said Calhoun knew she had broken the law.
"We understand that she is an effective teacher. But unfortunately, she violated the law. And we’re not going to reappoint her to her annual contract while her certificate is in jeopardy," Rendell said.
Lawmakers passed HB 1069 in 2023 to crack down on what state leaders called “woke gender ideology” in schools.
The Florida State Board of Education implemented a rule requiring written parental consent for a teacher to use names different from a student’s legal name.
For instance, a student whose birth name is “Matthew” cannot be called “Matt” without parental permission.
Teachers who knowingly violate those rules could have their teacher’s license suspended or revoked.
