Under current Florida law, educators must obtain explicit permission from a student’s guardians before using a name other than that appearing on official records. Brevard Public Schools said it isn’t renewing Melissa Calhoun’s contract for next year because she called a student by the name they wanted to be called by, not their legal name.
“I would like to address the recent news regarding the disciplinary action and non-renewal of a teacher’s contract within BPS. Unfortunately, much of the media coverage has misrepresented the core issue at hand,” said Wright.
“This situation centers around an educator’s failure to comply with both the law and district policies. Specifically, the educator did not fulfill a fundamental responsibility: to communicate significant changes in a student’s life to their parents. By withholding crucial information, the educator denied the parents the opportunity to provide timely support and guidance during a pivotal moment in their child’s development.”
Unfortunately however, Mrs. Wright’s characterization is disingenuous. According to friends and teachers of past of the student subject to the controversy, they have been going by their preferred name since the 8th grade. The student is now a senior in high school and also attends college at Eastern Florida State for half of the school day.
