Florida Teacher fired for violation of state law for calling a student by their preferred name without parental permission

[laughing dog]

Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, the state of Florida requires teachers to call students by their legal name unless they get a signed permission from a student's parents to use the student's preferred name.

Melissa Calhoun, a teacher at Satellite High School in Brevard County, will not have her contract renewed for the 2025-2026 school year after calling a student by a preferred name without getting a signed form, according to Brevard Public Schools Spokesperson Janet Murnaghan.

The decision is the first of its kind in reaction to Florida's law.

"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 in an email statement Tuesday night. (source: Florida teacher fired for using preferred name of student)

The teacher knew about the law and broke it anyway.

"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."

How do teachers support students academically if they don't support them psychologically? IMHO, that law is an example of "virtue signalling" to the cro-magnon right.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

So teachers have to call students by their legal names. Well, I guess it's good that Elon's children don't live in Florida.

Imagine being a teacher and trying to pronounce shit like "X Æ A-Xii."

 

[Politesse]

Good manners are illegal in Florida, eh? So much for the genteel South.

 

[Politesse]

I presume they aren't firing teachers for, say, referring to Robert as Bob? Since they are not ashamed of hypocrisy?

 

[southernhybrid]

I think I read that two teachers for fired for this. The fucking assholes leading this country are cruel. Why can't they just let people be who? I don't understand the hatred and most of it comes from so called Christians.

 

[thebeave]

I think I will reserve judgement until I hear what name the student wants to go by. The kid could be a trolling for attention by calling himself, say, Adolph Hitler, etc.

 

[Harry Bosch]

INSANE.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Hard enough to be a teacher as it is. Posters about inclusivity, and calling people by the name they prefer... too much. Fuck the GOP.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Florida has a teacher shortage, like the rest of the country. They have "solved" the problem, in part, by allowing staff to teach classes in which they are uncertified (the # of uncertified instructors is said to have risen 16% in the past three years.)
I have no clue how you teach anything realistic about U.S. history in their public schools and keep your job.
Like my benighted state, Florida has recently expanded its private school voucher program to include all students, regardless of family income.
Anyone want to guess at the end game of all this? Hint: the GOP may have fallen out of love with the education establishment. Whatever they can censor, demonize, and defund, they will do. And don't forget: the public school wants to cut off Jimmy's private parts and send him home with "a brutal operation." I know, because my President said so.

 

[TomC]

I think I will reserve judgement until I hear what name the student wants to go by. The kid could be a trolling for attention by calling himself, say, Adolph Hitler, etc.

There's so much about this story that sounds like low information virtue signalling I also find it impossible to have a firm opinion.
Tom

 

[thebeave]

I think I will reserve judgement until I hear what name the student wants to go by. The kid could be a trolling for attention by calling himself, say, Adolph Hitler, etc.

There's so much about this story that sounds like low information virtue signalling I also find it impossible to have a firm opinion.
Tom

Yep. Seems awfully "click-baity" to me.

 

[TomC]

I think I will reserve judgement until I hear what name the student wants to go by. The kid could be a trolling for attention by calling himself, say, Adolph Hitler, etc.

There's so much about this story that sounds like low information virtue signalling I also find it impossible to have a firm opinion.
Tom

Yep. Seems awfully "click-baity" to me.

Sometimes it's the parents that are the problem.
Somewhere around here there was a kerfuffle over a couple who named their son Adolph and middle name Hitler. It became a news story when a grocery store staff refused to decorate a cake "Happy Birthday Adolph Hitler".
Tom

 

[thebeave]

I think I will reserve judgement until I hear what name the student wants to go by. The kid could be a trolling for attention by calling himself, say, Adolph Hitler, etc.

There's so much about this story that sounds like low information virtue signalling I also find it impossible to have a firm opinion.
Tom

Yep. Seems awfully "click-baity" to me.

Sometimes it's the parents that are the problem.
Somewhere around here there was a kerfuffle over a couple who named their son Adolph and middle name Hitler. It became a news story when a grocery store staff refused to decorate a cake "Happy Birthday Adolph Hitler".
Tom

Yeah, I had forgotten about that. Or maybe I subconsiously remembered it. I believe you're referring to this story:

New Jersey Couple Loses Custody of Son Named Adolf Hitler

The family made headlines back in 2009 when a ShopRite supermarket in Greenwich, N.J., refused to inscribe Adolf Hitler Campbell's name on a cake for his third birthday. At the time, police and child protection officials took the children into protective custody, declining to reveal the exact reason but indicating it was not because of the children's names.

That said, the law certainly goes too far in insisting that the kids be referred to by their legally given name instead of a shortened name or a benign nickname (e.g. William, versus Bill). Hell, even Theodore Cleaver was referred to as Beaver by his teacher, Ms. Landers. Ask me how I know. Though, I do wonder if Beave's friend Whitey would be allowed to go by his nickname in present day schools, though. Especially, if there were black kids in the class. That could get awkward.

 

[southernhybrid]

Apparently a lot of people are supporting the teacher who was fired for using the student's preferred name. Good for them. We need more activists to fight this tyranny.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/12/us/florida-teacher-fired-preferred-name/index.html

Community responds with outrage​

More than 26,000 people have signed a Change.org petition, calling the teacher an “advocate for respect and student rights” and demanding her contract be renewed. Signatures include comments of support from her former students, colleagues and community members.

“She was reprimanded for referring to a student by the name they prefer rather than their official name – a direct blow to personal rights and respect,” the petition reads.

“(She) is an embodiment of what proper education should be: inclusive, understanding, and respectful of individuality. Losing her would be a significant loss to Brevard County’s education community. Her story highlights a fundamental problem in our education system where empathy and understanding are pushed aside for rigid bureaucracy,” the petition continues.

A group of Satellite High students held a walkout and peaceful gathering in the school’s courtyard Thursday before returning to class about 10 minutes later, the Satellite Beach Police Department said on Facebook.

Satellite High School media specialist Kristine Staniec, whose child was taught by the teacher facing disciplinary action, spoke at the Brevard Public Schools board meeting on Tuesday and criticized the school for its choice not to renew her contact.

She said there was “no explanation to families, no chance for the teacher to correct the mistake, no transparency, just a quiet final decision that effectively ended her career in our district.”

“The teacher made a difference in her classroom and in the lives of our students, including my own child; she deserved more than a quiet exit,” Staniec added. “She deserved fairness, context and compassion.”

Brevard County is one of two Florida counties where the right-wing conservative group Moms for Liberty was founded. Initially created in response to Covid-19 school closures and mask mandates, the organization has since broadened its focus to include advocating for book bans; calling for halting the teaching of critical race theory; and prohibiting teachers from discussing gender and sexuality during school hours.

This latest public school dispute comes as some states have moved to limit the rights of LGBTQ people.

I read in another article that teachers aren't even permitted to use a nick name that student's prefer. This shit is insane. Imo, it's a violation of basic rights. This wasn't a young kid. This was a high school student who wanted to be referred to by their preferred name. Fuck Florida, a state I once lived in, a state that was once dominated by Democrats many years ago but no more since people like the current governor have tried making it into a dictatorship.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Sounds to me like a FREE SPEECH VIOLATION that MAGAtards will ignore or defend.

 

[laughing dog]

I think I will reserve judgement until I hear what name the student wants to go by. The kid could be a trolling for attention by calling himself, say, Adolph Hitler, etc.

There's so much about this story that sounds like low information virtue signalling I also find it impossible to have a firm opinion.
Tom

Yep. Seems awfully "click-baity" to me.

Sometimes it's the parents that are the problem.
Somewhere around here there was a kerfuffle over a couple who named their son Adolph and middle name Hitler. It became a news story when a grocery store staff refused to decorate a cake "Happy Birthday Adolph Hitler".
Tom

Yeah, I had forgotten about that. Or maybe I subconsiously remembered it. I believe you're referring to this story:

New Jersey Couple Loses Custody of Son Named Adolf Hitler

The family made headlines back in 2009 when a ShopRite supermarket in Greenwich, N.J., refused to inscribe Adolf Hitler Campbell's name on a cake for his third birthday. At the time, police and child protection officials took the children into protective custody, declining to reveal the exact reason but indicating it was not because of the children's names.

That said, the law certainly goes too far in insisting that the kids be referred to by their legally given name instead of a shortened name or a benign nickname (e.g. William, versus Bill). Hell, even Theodore Cleaver was referred to as Beaver by his teacher, Ms. Landers. Ask me how I know. Though, I do wonder if Beave's friend Whitey would be allowed to go by his nickname in present day schools, though. Especially, if there were black kids in the class. That could get awkward.

The Florida law prohibits K-12 teachers from using a student’s preferred name or pronouns if it differs from their assigned sex at birth without parental permission.

So, you need to try harder to dismiss this nonsense arising from conservatard policy.

 

[TomC]

The Florida law prohibits K-12 teachers from using a student’s preferred name or pronouns if it differs from their assigned sex at birth without parental permission.

The OP didn't say that.
Tom

 

[GenesisNemesis]

I think I will reserve judgement until I hear what name the student wants to go by. The kid could be a trolling for attention by calling himself, say, Adolph Hitler, etc.

There's so much about this story that sounds like low information virtue signalling I also find it impossible to have a firm opinion.
Tom

Yep. Seems awfully "click-baity" to me.

Sometimes it's the parents that are the problem.
Somewhere around here there was a kerfuffle over a couple who named their son Adolph and middle name Hitler. It became a news story when a grocery store staff refused to decorate a cake "Happy Birthday Adolph Hitler".
Tom

Yeah, I had forgotten about that. Or maybe I subconsiously remembered it. I believe you're referring to this story:

New Jersey Couple Loses Custody of Son Named Adolf Hitler

The family made headlines back in 2009 when a ShopRite supermarket in Greenwich, N.J., refused to inscribe Adolf Hitler Campbell's name on a cake for his third birthday. At the time, police and child protection officials took the children into protective custody, declining to reveal the exact reason but indicating it was not because of the children's names.

That said, the law certainly goes too far in insisting that the kids be referred to by their legally given name instead of a shortened name or a benign nickname (e.g. William, versus Bill). Hell, even Theodore Cleaver was referred to as Beaver by his teacher, Ms. Landers. Ask me how I know. Though, I do wonder if Beave's friend Whitey would be allowed to go by his nickname in present day schools, though. Especially, if there were black kids in the class. That could get awkward.

The Florida law prohibits K-12 teachers from using a student’s preferred name or pronouns if it differs from their assigned sex at birth without parental permission.

So, you need to try harder to dismiss this nonsense arising from conservatard policy.

Always funny when conservatards do the exact thing I predict.

 

[Axulus]

Sounds to me like a FREE SPEECH VIOLATION that MAGAtards will ignore or defend.

Wasn't this Jordan Peterson's big shtick about government compelling speech when it came to using the wrong pronouns? So, here it is, happening, the government firing people for using the wrong pronouns and names, and MAGA is nodding along in approval.

Every complaint they have is actually a confession: they just don't want it to happen to them, but actually gleefully cheer it on when it is done to people they don't like.

They are intellectually and morally bankrupt, which is why only intellectually and morally bankrupt people are still part of MAGA.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

The Florida law prohibits K-12 teachers from using a student’s preferred name or pronouns if it differs from their assigned sex at birth without parental permission.

The OP didn't say that.
Tom

Here's some more info...

Do students need permission to use their nickname in class? Florida will now require parents consent first

Due to recent legislation from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, students will need parental permission to be called by their nicknames or preferred names.

www.floridatoday.com

If your child prefers going by a nickname, get ready to be greeted by a new form this school year.

Florida students will need parental permission to go by anything other than their legal name due to recent legislation signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

So it even applies to nicknames. A teacher cannot use a nickname without parents signing the Republicans-love-big-government-bureaucratic-red-tape form.

Also...

According to the Orange County Schools memo, parents may fill out a form "allowing the usage of a transgender name," which can be completely different from their given name. However, even if a transgender student did get permission from their parent to use a different name, teachers are not obligated to use that student's preferred pronouns due to HB 1069's language.

The bill prohibits school employees or students from being required to refer to people by pronouns that don't correspond to the person's sex.

So even if the parents take time to fill out the form for a trans student, the school employees don't have to use any nicknames or other names they allege are inconsistent with the child's sex at birth.