BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Melissa Calhoun, the former Brevard Public Schools teacher caught in controversy for calling a student by their preferred name rather than their legal name — which violated a new Florida law — will keep her teaching license.
Wednesday, the Education Practices Commission unanimously voted to accept a settlement, allowing Calhoun to retain her teaching certification. Calhoun was seen in tears following the decision.
“There are several things that the commission can do — they can suspend, they can terminate, they can do all sorts of things,” said Calhoun’s attorney, Mark Wilensky. “That’s not what’s fair and reasonable under these circumstances.”
The ruling comes after Calhoun lost her job over her use of a student’s preferred name without written parental consent — an action that violated a 2023 state law requiring such consent.
“What’s very reasonable is to put Miss Calhoun back in her classroom, teaching honors and advanced studies,” Wilensky added.
According to Wilensky, Calhoun reached a settlement with the Florida Department of Education. The terms include a letter of reprimand, a $750 fine, one year of probation, and the completion of an ethics and education course.
The case drew further attention when the new Department of Education commissioner recommended the commission reject the settlement, which was an unprecedented move.
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“When the student asked teachers from middle school through high school, ‘Will you call me this name?’ And they all just said, ‘Yeah, sure,’ without thinking, ‘Oh, maybe the parents have something to say about this,’” the commissioner said. “It’s unacceptable. It’s inexcusable, and it cannot be tolerated.”
Despite that recommendation, Wilensky emphasized that the settlement was negotiated and agreed upon by both parties and is legally binding.
“That can’t happen,” he said. “You heard me read the language that the commissioner wrote. That’s designed to prevent that from happening.”
Although Brevard County Schools voted not to renew Calhoun’s contract earlier this year, Wilensky noted she remains eligible to teach in Brevard County or anywhere else in the state — both now and even before the hearing.