A Florida teacher will keep her license but won't return to her former school district, after being accused of violating the state's "Don't Say Gay" law. Melissa Calhoun, a respected educator in Brevard County, faced backlash for using a student's preferred nickname — something she says she didn't know was an issue.
She settled with the state, agreeing to pay a fine and take an ethics course. The Education Practices Commission upheld that deal, but the district declined to rehire her.
Calhoun was the first Florida teacher who faced termination for violating the state's law, which bars any instruction in public schools about gender identity or sexual orientation.
