- A parental complaint initiated an investigation, revealing Calhoun was the only teacher out of four interviewed who admitted to using the student's chosen name.
- Calhoun stated it was an oversight, having taught the student before the rule was implemented, and that she had no malicious intent.
- Despite a recommendation for reprimand, Superintendent Mark Rendell chose not to renew Calhoun's contract, citing uncertainty about the state's response to the incident.
The Brevard school district’s 128-page investigation into a parent's complaint regarding the unauthorized use of her teen's chosen name among educators concluded with a recommendation to reprimand a Satellite High teacher.
But Superintendent Mark Rendell decided instead to not renew Melissa Calhoun's contract, with the district citing uncertainty about what action the state would take when they opted to report her to the Florida Department of Education.
The investigation, obtained by FLORIDA TODAY through a public records request, also provides the first insight into the teacher’s response. Calhoun has not talked to the media since her contract was not renewed on April 1, the same day she received a letter of reprimand.
Calhoun, who taught AP English and has been with the district for about 12 years, is the first known Florida educator to lose her job as a result of a 2023 Florida Board of Education rule that says parents must give written permission before an educator can use any alternative to a student's legal name, whether that be a nickname or a name related to their gender identity. In this case, the student was using a name related to their gender identity, records showed.
The district’s own investigation into the situation, which included multiple conversations with Calhoun, other teachers, the parent of the student in question and several of their classmates, ended with a recommendation that Calhoun should be reprimanded for alleged violations of state statute, an administrative code and a board policy.
The decision to not renew her contract was based on a lack of clarity regarding how the state would respond to a violation of the 2023 Florida Board of Education rule, a district spokesperson said.
"The decision was made by Dr. Rendell based on uncertainty surrounding the states response to the incident," Janet Murnaghan said in a May 15 email to FLORIDA TODAY. "We do not have any historical data to guide us on a FLDOE response to this violation. We do not want to start the 2025-2026 school year with a teacher whose license may be revoked by the state, leaving us without a teacher midyear. Ms. Calhoun is welcome to apply to work at the district when the issue is resolved with the state."
The voluminous investigative document also shows that Calhoun repeatedly said it was unintentional that she used the teen's chosen name without parental permission. She immediately expressed willingness to abide by the rule and told the teen — a 17-year-old senior also dual-enrolled at Eastern Florida State College — she could no longer call them by that name.
The student's parent did not respond to repeated requests for comment. FLORIDA TODAY is not naming the parent to protect the privacy of the student.
Initial complaint made to Board Vice Chair Matt Susin
The investigation kicked off after the student's parent complained to Board Vice Chair Matt Susin about teachers using the student's chosen name, according to the investigative report. On March 6, Susin relayed this information to Satellite High School Principal Courtney Lundy, saying that the parent expressed concerns that DeLaura Middle School, the student's previous school, and Satellite High faculty members had been "influencing and grooming" the teen to "transition and be gay," according to the report.
Lundy and the parent also spoke that day, records show, with the parent relaying similar concerns, as well as worries that the teen was participating in the school's gender and sexuality alliance club, the report said.
Investigation: Only Calhoun admits to using chosen name
The district immediately launched an investigation into the parent's allegations. This involved interviewing multiple teachers and other members of staff. Over the course of the next four days, several key parts of the case were determined, including that Calhoun was the only teacher who admitted to using the teen's chosen name. One teacher said the teen wrote their chosen name at the top of their assignments, but she never referred to them by that name.
On March 11, Calhoun was given a predetermination letter notifying her of a possible policy violation and that she would need to attend a meeting with human resources. She refused to sign it.
Calhoun: no 'political intent' or 'malicious intent'; a 'complete oversight'
Following Calhoun's initial meeting on March 10 with Lundy, during which she said she used the teen's chosen name because she had been their teacher since 2022, two additional meetings were held with Calhoun and BPS Manager of Professional Standards Jacqueline Saxenmeyer.
Calhoun told Saxenmeyer she was aware of the Florida Board of Education rule but that it did not exist when she first met the student. Because the teen did well in class and didn't suffer from behavioral issues, she hadn't communicated with the parents, according to the report. She added that she hadn't checked to see if the student had a completed parent permission form in FOCUS, the academic platform BPS students, teachers and parents use, saying it was a "complete oversight."
A faculty meeting was held after the rule first passed in 2023, Calhoun said, but no refreshers or updates had been provided since then. Additionally, she said she was previously unaware of how to find nickname information in FOCUS. Following her informal meeting with Lundy on March 10, during which they discussed FOCUS, Calhoun said she did a complete search for all her students' confirmed nicknames.
The same day as her initial meeting with Lundy, Calhoun told the student she could no longer use their chosen name, offering them little detail as to why, according to investigative documents. Calhoun said she was not given specific instructions regarding whether or not to speak to the student about the situation, and Lundy said she had not provided her with guidance on how to move forward.
Calhoun said she wasn't using the student's chosen name with any "political intent" or "malicious intent." She added that she was "shocked" when she learned what the informal meeting was about and made a comment saying, "I can't believe that this is what I go down for." She also said no conversations regarding transitioning genders had ever taken place between her and the teen.
Determination: HR says reprimand Calhoun; Rendell opts for non-renewal
At the end of her investigation, Saxenmeyer said that Calhoun should receive a letter of reprimand stating she had violated Florida State Statute 1000.071, which relates to the use of personal titles and pronouns; Florida Administrative Code 6A-1.0955, which relates to allowing parents to specify if an educator can use a deviation from their child's legal name; Brevard Public Schools board policy 3210, specifically the section relating to the use of personal titles and pronouns; and The Principles of Professional Conduct of the Education Profession in Florida State Board Rule 6A-10.081(2)(c)(4).
Saxenmeyer did not suggest terminating Calhoun or otherwise removing her from her position. But on April 1, Rendell issued a letter of reprimand with a notice that Calhoun's contract would not be renewed.
"We appreciate your service to our school system and wish you every success in your future endeavors," Rendell said in the letter regarding Calhoun's contract. He did not reference the incident involving the use of the student's name, though since then, Murnaghan said it played a role in their decision.
The board reaffirmed his decision at an April 22 board meeting. Board member John Thomas made a motion to retrain Calhoun on the 2023 rule and renew her contract, but none of the other board members supported that idea, citing concerns about parental rights and the uncertain status of Calhoun's teaching certification.
Calhoun reported to state after district opts not to renew her
On April 11, about a week and a half after Calhoun was told her contract would not be renewed, Saxenmeyer sent her a letter informing her that the district would be reporting her to the Florida Department of Education's Office of Professional Practices due to her use of the teen's chosen name.
Records from the same day show Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Services Ryan Dufrain filled out the form to report Calhoun to the state department of education. He included "all supporting documents," including a summary of the situation, witness statements, emails/letters/correspondence and copies of the rules the district said she violated.
FLORIDA TODAY reached out to FLDOE for records on April 24 and was still awaiting a response on May 20.
Parent: Lengthy email sent to board after Calhoun's non-renewal
The records sent to FLORIDA TODAY from Brevard Public Schools say little about communication from the parent apart from her initial complaint on March 6, as well as a visit to the school during the week of the investigation.
About a month after she made the initial complaint, records show that the parent emailed school board members and Lundy, questioning why she hadn't been informed that teachers had previously been using her teen's chosen name.
"What is the consequence for these teacher (sic) in violation of the law?" she said. "Sending a strong message is imperative to stopping the culture."