State education commissioner: Ousted Brevard teacher deserves suspension
“Less than a month following a Florida Department of Education committee’s decision to uphold a Brevard teacher’s education credentials after she used a student’s chosen name without parental permission, the Florida Commissioner of Education emphasized that he believed she deserved a suspension.” (Florida Today, 8/21/25)
YouTube: Former Brevard teacher disciplined for chosen name use speaks out →
Former Satellite High AP English teacher Melissa Calhoun talks about the events from complaint to reprimand regarding her use of a student’s chosen name based on gender identity rather than the student’s legal name.
Florida Today: ‘Taken aback’: Brevard teacher ousted in student name issue speaks out →
Former Brevard County teacher Melissa Calhoun speaks exclusively with FLORIDA TODAY regarding events following the use of a student’s chosen name
Photos: Crowd shows support for ousted Brevard teacher at board meeting →
Photos: Crowd shows support for ousted Brevard teacher at board meeting
WESH: Brevard County community rallies for dismissed teacher →
The Brevard County community showed strong support for former teacher Melissa Calhoun at a school board meeting on Tuesday after her dismissal for using a student’s preferred name without parental consent, a requirement under new Florida law.
Florida Today: Ousted teacher calls on Brevard Schools to ‘commit to transparency’ →
Tuesday also marked the first meeting since Superintendent Mark Rendell announced that he would not consider rehiring Melissa Calhoun, a teacher whose contract was not renewed after a spring investigation by the district revealed she had used a then-senior’s chosen name without parental permission, an action in violation of a 2023 Florida Board of Education rule. A Florida Department of Education committee approved a settlement with Calhoun at the end of July, the stipulations of which placed her on a 12-month probation. Her probation does not begin until she obtains a teaching position.
August 12th: Support Ms. Calhoun at the School Board →
School Board Meeting
The next School Board meeting is Tuesday, August 12th at 5:30pm.
ClickOrlando: Former Brevard teacher behind preferred name scandal speaks after reaching settlement →
The former Brevard County teacher who lost her job over calling a student by their preferred name and was at the center of a statewide debate over parental rights is telling her side of the story for the first time.
WFTV: ‘It’s been a whirlwind’: Dismissed Brevard County teacher speaks out →
A teacher from Brevard County who made headlines last school year is speaking out for the first time.
Florida Today: Brevard Schools won’t rehire teacher ousted over student’s chosen name →
A little less than a week after a Florida Department of Education committee cleared a Brevard teacher to return to the classroom after she was ousted for her use of a student’s chosen name, Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Mark Rendell said the district would not rehire her.