Florida — A Florida high school teacher’s community is rallying behind her after the school district declined to renew her teaching contract because she used a student’s preferred name without parental permission.
A parent from Satellite High School in Satellite Beach, Florida, reported the teacher and complained that she “had been referring to a student by a name other than their legal name,” according to a Brevard Public Schools spokesperson.
“This directly violates state law as well as the district’s standardized process for written parental consent,” spokesperson Janet Murnaghan stated. “BPS supports parents’ rights to be the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives, and Florida law affirms their right to be informed.”
According to the BPS statement, the teacher, who was not named by the school district, informed officials that she “knowingly did not comply with state statute,” prompting the district to conduct an investigation and issue her a letter of reprimand.
A public K-12 school employee or contractor cannot ask a student to share “his or her preferred personal title or pronouns” if it does not correspond to the sex assigned at birth, according to state statute.
“Florida is the Parental Rights state, and those rights are protected by law. In a statement to CNN, Florida Department of Education spokesperson Sydney Booker stated that parents, not educators or administrators, make decisions about student name changes.
“State Board Rule 6A-1.0955 requires (school) districts to adopt a policy that allows parents to specify the use of any deviation from their child’s legal name at school. Booker stated that school districts will create a form to obtain parental consent, as well as any other necessary documentation.
The teacher is still employed under a 10-month contract that will expire next month, according to the school district. Due to the accusation, the state is reviewing her teaching certificate, and the district has decided not to renew her annual contract “until the issue is resolved with the state,” according to the district.
“Teachers, like all employees, are expected to follow the law,” she said. “At BPS, we focus on education; teachers are here to teach and support students academically. “Our job is to collaborate with parents and guardians to ensure student success.”
Community responds with outrage
More than 26,000 people have signed a Change.org petition describing the teacher as a “advocate for respect and student rights” and demanding that her contract be renewed. Her former students, colleagues, and community members have all signed and expressed their support.
“She was reprimanded for referring to a student by the name they prefer rather than their official name – a direct blow to personal rights and respect,” the petition’s title states.
“(She) exemplifies what appropriate education should be: inclusive, understanding, and respectful of individuality. Losing her would be a significant blow to Brevard County’s educational community. Her story exemplifies a fundamental flaw in our educational system, in which empathy and understanding are sacrificed for rigid bureaucracy,” the petition states.
Satellite High students staged a walkout and peaceful gathering in the school’s courtyard on Thursday before returning to class about 10 minutes later, according to the Satellite Beach Police Department’s Facebook page.
Satellite High School media specialist Kristine Staniec, whose child was taught by the teacher facing disciplinary action, spoke at the Brevard Public Schools board meeting on Tuesday, criticizing the school’s decision not to renew her contract.
According to her, “no explanation to families, no chance for the teacher to correct the mistake, no transparency, just a quiet final decision that effectively ended her career in our district.”
“The teacher made a difference in her classroom and in the lives of our students, including my own child; she deserved more than a quiet exit,” he said. “She deserved fairness, context and compassion.”
Brevard County is one of two Florida counties where the right-wing conservative organization Moms for Liberty was established. Founded in response to Covid-19 school closures and mask mandates, the organization has since expanded its mission to include advocating for book bans, halting the teaching of critical race theory, and prohibiting teachers from discussing gender and sexuality during school hours.
This latest public school dispute comes as some states seek to limit LGBTQ people’s rights.
In recent years, states across the United States have restricted gender-affirming care, barred transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports, and required schools to disclose trans and nonbinary students’ identities to their parents.
Critics argue that the nationwide, conservative-led push for more laws restricting discussion of gender identity and sexuality in classrooms, as well as bans on books with LGBTQ characters, authors, and themes in public libraries and schools, are all aimed at limiting the community’s visibility and rights.
They cite data indicating that LGBTQ youth had lower rates of suicide attempts when they had access to LGBTQ-affirming environments.
Decisions to punish educators for respecting their students’ sense of self-autonomy are likely to have long-term negative effects on students’ mental health, affecting their future academic success, according to Brian Dittmeier, director of public policy for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, an LGBTQ student advocacy group.
“We have seen consistently that hostile learning environments, including learning environments that don’t affirm students in their chosen name and pronouns, can contribute to diminished academic success, a lack of feeling of belonging in the school community, and adverse mental health outcome, including higher rates of depression and anxiety and higher rates of attempted and considered suicide,” according to Dittmeier of CNN.
Florida also has the Parental Rights in Education law, which critics refer to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill because it prohibits students in certain grade levels from discussing their gender identity or sexual orientation.
It also requires parents to be notified of any decisions or changes that affect students’ mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being. Furthermore, it states that school district employees may not discourage or prohibit such parental notification.
Several Florida teachers have come under fire as a result of its provisions, including a fifth-grade teacher who was investigated in 2023 for showing a Disney movie featuring a gay character, as well as LGBTQ teachers who have stated that they no longer feel comfortable discussing their lives or answering their students’ questions without fear of repercussions.
A settlement reached last year between state education officials and a group of LGBTQ advocates and family members clarified the law, stating that students and teachers may discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom as long as it is not part of formal instruction.
Civil rights organizations, teachers, and families argued that the original law’s “vague” language could chill discussions about LGBTQ issues in schools.
Dittmeier claims that putting bureaucracy in the middle of student-teacher relationships will make students feel unable to attend school as their true selves, and teachers will be prohibited from treating their students with “basic dignity.”
At least 13 other states have enacted similar policies prohibiting educators from using students’ preferred alternative names or pronouns, but Dittmeier believes this is the first time a teacher has lost their job for violating such policies.
Staniec spoke passionately to members of the school board about her colleague.
“Her offense? An unintentional violation of the nickname policy. Staniec stated that there was no harm, threat to safety, or malicious intent, just a teacher attempting to connect with a student, and as a result, her contract was not renewed, despite her strong dedication and years of service.
