A Florida teacher says she did not intend to violate a state law that forbids her from using a name for a student that does not match the student’s biological gender without parental approval.
Melissa Calhoun said Tuesday that she was not aware she was breaking the state law and did not have any political motivation. She was given a written reprimand and suspended from teaching for a year, but the district now says she will not be rehired after the probation period.
‘We must have trust in our teachers to act in partnership with families, not come between parents and their children, especially when it comes to these meaningful conversations.’
“There was no intent behind it. I was just trying to teach a student in my classroom,” Calhoun said to WESH-TV. “I immediately owned my actions. In reality, I had forgotten about the law.”
She was allowed to retain her teaching certificate despite the suspension and she says she reapplied to teach at Satellite High School, where she was teaching when she made the comment.
Dr. Mark Rendell, the superintendent of Brevard Public Schools, issued a lengthy statement on Tuesday accusing the teacher of consciously and deliberately violating the law.
“The Florida Department of Education has issued a formal reprimand and placed a former Brevard Public School teacher, Melissa Calhoun, on a one-year probation for knowingly and repeatedly violating state law by referring to a student by a name that did not match their biological gender, without parental consent,” Rendell wrote.
He went on to seemingly contradict the claims that Calhoun made in order to justify the decision to not rehire her.
“This was not a mistake. This was a conscious and deliberate decision to engage in gender affirmation without parental knowledge,” he added. “We notify parents when students are absent or struggling with classwork; it is unacceptable to withhold information on matters of such personal significance. This was not a case of confusion or lack of training.”
School district and state officials were divided on how harsh a punishment Calhoun should face. She will have to pay a $750 fine and also take a college-level course in ethics.
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“Mrs. Calhoun has acknowledged that her actions were intentional and that she was aware of the law and violated it. That is deeply troubling,” Rendell added. “We must have trust in our teachers to act in partnership with families, not come between parents and their children, especially when it comes to these meaningful conversations.”
Calhoun said she will seek a teaching position elsewhere.
“As Superintendent, I want to reaffirm our district’s unwavering commitment to parental rights,” Rendell concluded. “Teachers hold a powerful position of influence, and that influence must never override the rights of parents to be involved in critical decisions affecting their children.”
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