Melbourne, Fla. (WFLA) — Teachers at Central Florida schools will not return to classrooms next year after being accused of using student priority names instead of legal names.
As part of the custody education law of 2022 (called the “gay” law by critics), teachers who use pronouns or names that students like without parental permission may lose their job or educational certification.
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In a statement obtained by NBC affiliate WESH, Brevard Public Schools (BPS) said that the student’s parents contacted them about the situation.
“This directly violates state law and the district’s standardized process for written parental consent,” the BPS statement read. “BPS supports the parent’s right to be a key decision maker in the lives of a parent’s children, and Florida law affirms the right to be notified.”
A BPS official said the district had conducted the investigation. This said it brought a letter of responsibility as it was reportedly allowed the teacher to use names that the students liked. The district will not renew her contract this summer as the state is considering her education accreditation.
“The state will review her education certificate based on these actions, so the district has decided not to renew its annual contract until the matter is resolved with the state,” BPS said. “At BPS, our focus is on education. Teachers are here to teach and support students academically. Our job is to work in collaboration with parents and parents to ensure the success of our students.”
The woman who identified herself as a teacher colleague and a parent of a well-known student told the school board that she had found a decision not to renew her teacher contract because she was deeply concerned.
“There was no harm, no threat to safety, no malicious intention,” she said. “Only a teacher who wants to connect with her students, and that’s why, despite her strong dedication and years of service, her contract was not renewed. How can I justify this?”
Wesh reported that her comments were filled with applause from the audience.
Rep. Randy Fein, who sponsored the bill as a state representative, said the school district simply follows the law.
“There are no details,” Fein told Wesi. “But if a teacher mentions a student with a different name than what a parent wants and the parent complains about it, the teacher is breaking the law.
Wesh reached out to the teachers’ union that declined to comment and the accused educators who did not respond to inquiries.
