Teacher’s contract not renewed for not using student’s legal name

WESH

By Hayley Crombleholme

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    BREVARD COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A teacher in Brevard County won’t be returning next school year after the district says she was accused of using a student’s preferred name without a parent’s permission.

The district says now, they aren’t renewing the teacher’s contract.

Saying in a statement,

“Brevard Public Schools (BPS) was made aware that a teacher at Satellite High School had been referring to a student by a name other than their legal name, without parental permission when the parent reached out to us. 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.

“After the accusation was made, the district conducted a detailed investigation. Based on the teacher’s own admission that she knowingly did not comply with state statute she received a letter of reprimand. Teachers, like all employees, are expected to follow the law.

“The teacher is working under a ten-month contract that expires in May 2025. Since the state will be reviewing her teaching certificate based on these actions, the district decided not to renew the annual contract until the issue is resolved with the state.

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

One woman, who identified herself as both a parent of a student in the district and a colleague of the teacher’s, spoke out during a recent school board meeting, saying she found the move deeply concerning.

“There was no harm, no threat to safety, no malicious intent,” she said. “Just a teacher trying to connect with a student, and for that, her contract was not renewed despite her strong dedication and years of service. I ask you, how can we justify this?”

After she spoke, she was met with applause from the audience.

WESH 2 spoke with congressman Randy Fine, who sponsored the Parental Rights in Education Bill, sometimes dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, when he was in the state House.

“What our law said was if they want to be called something other than their legal name, their parents have to sign a form,” Fine said. “Whether it’s a nickname or frankly a name from another gender, the parent has to be OK with it,”

Fine said if the teacher did what she was accused of, she broke the law.

“I don’t have the details,” he said. “But if a teacher was referring to a student by a name different than what the parents desire and it rose to the level that the parent complained about it, then that teacher is breaking the law. And we do not want lawbreakers teaching our children.”

WESH reached out to the teacher’s union, which declined to comment. The teacher in question has not responded to requests for comment.

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