A Florida teacher was fired for referring to her student by their preferred name without consent taken from their parents, as per ClickOrlando and Florida Today.
Melissa Calhoun, who is a teacher at Satellite High School in Brevard County, was informed through a letter that her contract for the new school year wouldn’t be renewed for a clear violation of the rule put forward by the school.

As per Florida’s Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student’s Legal Name Form, the law says educators are required to get parental permission before calling a student by a name that was different from their legal one.
The law was shared at the start of the 2023 to 2024 school year.

The student’s parent informed the school that Calhoun referred to the student by a preferred name. This was a violation, and she would now be facing the consequences of her actions.
The district did carry out an internal investigation regarding the matter. They admitted to using the child’s preferred name as per Florida Today. Her teaching credentials will now be reviewed, and she will no longer be allowed to continue. The law says that only parents hold the sole decision-making power regarding such important changes as name, and the educator has no role to play here.