Florida high school teacher loses job after using student’s preferred name

A Florida school district has opted not to renew a high school teacher's contract after she referred to a student by a name other than their legal name without parental permission.

The decision was made not to renew Satellite High School teacher Melissa Calhoun's annual contract after an investigation was conducted into the situation, said Brevard Public Schools spokesperson Janet Murnaghan in a statement emailed to FLORIDA TODAY, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Tuesday night.

“At BPS our focus is on education – teachers are here to teach and support students academically,” Murnaghan said. “Our job is to work in partnership with parents and guardians to ensure student success.”

FLORIDA TODAY reached out to Calhoun but did not receive a response.

Calhoun will finish her contract, which expires in May of this year, Murnaghan said, adding that the district didn't renew it since Florida will have to review her teaching certification because her actions violated state law.

The decision elicited emotional support of Calhoun from audience members signed up to speak at a Tuesday school board meeting, and a petition started earlier during the day by students had garnered 3,082 signatures as of midnight. Many of those signatures came with comments expressing disgust and dismay over the decision not to keep Calhoun.

Here's what we know.

Teacher: Contract not renewed after allowing student to go by preferred name

The district on the east coast of Florida began an investigation into Calhoun after being made aware that she was calling a student by the student's preferred name, Murnaghan said – an action that goes against a 2023 Florida Board of Education rule.

If a student wants to go by an alternative to their legal name, whether that be a simple nickname or a name that correlates with a transgender identity, parents must sign a “Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form,” according to the rule, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in 2023.

“BPS supports parents’ rights to be the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives, and Florida law affirms their right to be informed,” Murnaghan said.

Calhoun admitted that she “knowingly did not comply with state statute,” Murnaghan said, adding that the teacher was issued a letter of reprimand. The district opted not to renew Calhoun's contract, as the state would review her teaching certification following her noncompliance with the law, Murnaghan said.

Murnaghan didn't specify when the district became aware of Calhoun calling a student by the student's preferred name or who made the report.

Public response: ‘There was no harm'

A handful of community members, some with handmade signs, showed up at Tuesday's school board meeting to speak in support of Calhoun.

Kristine Staniec, a media specialist at Satellite High, questioned the handling of the situation and accused the district of trying to “slip this under the rug.”

“My colleague and child's teacher was let go after just two weeks of internal review,” Staniec said, adding that Calhoun's violation of the law was unintentional. “There was no harm, no threat to safety, no malicious intent, just a teacher trying to connect with a student, and for that, her contract was not renewed.”

Ryan Matrigali, a junior at Satellite High, said Calhoun is “beloved” at the school.

“Ms. Calhoun is a teacher loved by all of her students,” he said. “Her goal was to make everyone feel welcome … and to enhance their learning experience.”

More: Transgender bathroom law takes effect in Ohio. How will schools comply?

He added that over the course of the day, 284 students had signed a physical copy of a petition to keep her at the school, and – at the time of the board meeting – 1,655 people had signed a similar online petition, which gained steam through the evening.

“The mission statement on the banner behind the board says, ‘Our mission: to serve every student with excellence as the standard,'” Ryan said. “Why should this teacher be punished when she is just serving her students with excellence and understanding?”

Another student said Calhoun went “above and beyond” to ensure students understood the material they were learning. She spoke of Calhoun's involvement coaching the mock trial team and attending sports games to support the school.

“Brilliant teachers, completely devoted to education, are a gift I will cherish always and protect and defend, just as they advocate for me and my education,” the student said.

Brevard: First reported job loss related to Florida's name policy

Until now, there have been no reported cases of Florida educators losing their jobs as a result of Florida's rule requiring parental permission to use an alternative name for a student.

While the district opted to reprimand Calhoun and not renew her contract, it's unclear if these consequences would universally apply to other teachers who didn't comply with Florida's law.

The 2023 rule dictates that Florida districts must develop a form for parents to sign indicating they consent to the use of an alternative name for their child, but the law doesn't lay out what the consequences are for teachers and other staff members who don't comply.

While another Florida statute that has been challenged and partially blocked from being enforced prohibits public K-12 educators from requiring students to address them by a preferred pronoun or a “personal title” that does “not correspond to that person's sex,” the statute doesn't dictate whether or not students may go by another name or pronoun.

State guidelines address certain issues related to LGBTQ issues – such as prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity except in certain cases and using restrooms designated for the opposite sex – but don't address the usage of alternative names.

Teachers shouldn't discourage or prohibit parental notification of decisions related to a student's mental, emotional or physical wellbeing, according to the principles, although it is not specific about what these decisions may encompass. It also adds that an educator may withhold this information if there's a reasonable belief that disclosing it would cause abuse or neglect to the student.

Florida's law prohibiting K-12 teachers from using preferred pronouns has been challenged, with teachers suing the Florida Department of Education and other officials within it, as well as the Hillsborough County School Board, Lee County School Board and Florida Virtual School Board of Trustees.

Federal Judge Mark Walker blocked part of the law, though the state appealed the decision.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida teacher loses job after calling student by preferred name