A Florida teacher can still work in the classroom despite her willingness to call a student by a nickname. But it won't be with her former school district.
The Florida Education Practices Commission upheld a settlement between Satellite High teacher Melissa Calhoun, months after a parent accused the educator of “grooming her daughter to transition and to be gay.”
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Calhoun, who told administrators she did not know the student’s preferred "male" nickname was an issue or that using it violated the state’s infamous “don’t say gay” law, agreed to pay a $750 fine to the state and take an ethics course, according to Orlando’s NBC affiliate. The settlement allowed her to keep her teaching certificate and avoid being fired by the school district.
However, Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Mark Rendell said Calhoun's past contract expired and she will not be rehired by the school district.
"While the state has chosen to allow this individual to retain their certification under probation, I believe it is appropriate that the full term of that probation be completed before any consideration of employment," he said in an emailed statement to Florida Today.
The teacher applied for a job at the district the day after the state commission approved her settlement. The school year in Brevard County begins on Aug. 11.
Calhoun’s settlement agreement became controversial when Gov. Ron DeSantis’ newly name Education Commissioner, Anastasios Kamoutsas, said he wanted the state to back out of it.
Calhoun was the first Florida teacher who faced termination for violating the state’s law, which bars any instruction in public schools about gender identity or sexual orientation.
The local teacher’s union in Calhoun’s school district welcomed the decision by the Education Practices Commission to uphold the settlement agreement the teacher reached with the state.
“This is an important victory—not only for Ms. Calhoun, but for the thousands of students whose lives she has touched throughout her career,” reads a statement from Brevard Federation of Teachers President Anthony Colucci.
“With nearly flawless evaluations spanning more than a decade, Ms. Calhoun has consistently exemplified the dedication and excellence that Brevard County’s children deserve in their classrooms. The Brevard County School Board now has the opportunity to rehire a beloved educator who has gone above and beyond for her students. We urge them to act swiftly and justly to return Ms. Calhoun to the classroom—where she belongs.”
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